Tuesday, June 17, 2025
We live in an age of constant information that can leave us overwhelmed. It’s easy to miss something extraordinary simply because we are so focused on the task at hand. But what if we slowed down enough to truly see the world around us - to actually live life rather than just running from one meeting to the next.
For example, what if we stopped to look at one of God’s smallest creatures - the mantis shrimp? Who would imagine that we could witness the profound creativity of God by studying something so small?
Imagine a predator, ranging from less than an inch to over a foot long, that has the power to demolish a crab shell – or even shatter aquarium glass – with incredibly fast strikes. But what truly sets the mantis shrimp apart isn’t its strength but it’s incredible eyesight.
Our human vision is decent enough, allowing us to see red, blue, green and all the mixtures in between. However, mantis shrimp have sixteen different types of photoreceptor cells (cones) in their eyes! That means they experience a spectrum of color far beyond our comprehension, including ultraviolet wavelengths which are completely invisible to us. They literally see the world in ways we can’t begin to imagine.
But that’s only the first part of their incredible vision. Each compound eye is divided into three distinct sections, granting them trinocular vision – which means that they can see three images simultaneously. What’s more, these eyes aren't fixed, but rather, can move independently, providing an unparalleled level of spatial awareness and tracking ability.
It’s dizzying to contemplate the intricate design and sheer innovation behind such abilities. This leads us to ask: if God can engineer something like this then what else is He capable of doing? The mantis shrimp isn't just an interesting biological quirk but rather is a tangible reminder of God’s limitless imagination.
In Psalm 9:1 King David writes, “I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful works.” So today, pause in the midst of your hectic life long enough to remember one of the extraordinary deeds of our wonderful Lord. Each one of them is a reminder of God’s love toward us. Then, take some time to tell somebody else, “Wow, just look at this thing our God has done.”
