Our Shield

 
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“For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11 (NKJV)

Can you spot the marine crab hiding in this image? Well-camouflaged and well-hidden, it takes a careful observer to discern the grapsid crab hiding in this seawall crack. There are over 3,500 different species of marine crabs that have been identified by scientists. They range in size from the diminutive water flea which can be as small as a microscopic 0.01 inches to the gigantic Japanese spider crab which can be an astonishing eighteen feet from claw tip to claw tip and weigh up to forty pounds. Crabs are invertebrates and all have a hard, external skeleton (exoskeleton) that protects their sensitive internal organs.

One of the most fascinating features of crabs (and crustaceans in general) is how they grow. Since they were created with a natural armor in the form of their exoskeleton, they must shed this skeleton through a process called molting to grow larger.  The first step of the molting process, removing the external skeleton, is achieved through the absorption of seawater. The influx of seawater causes the crab’s tissue to expand and its exoskeleton to separate along a seam in the carapace made especially for this purpose. Yes, they literally burst out of their shells! The next step of the molting process requires the crab to shed its old shell by backing out of it. The outer layer of their body then hardens into a new exoskeleton, a process that takes at least 24 hours.  Once their new exoskeleton hardens, the final step to molting includes the crab releasing the seawater from its tissue which allows it space to grow inside its new shell. This process may be repeated as many as twenty times throughout a crab’s life!

Molting seems to be an energetically taxing process for the crabs. I have noted that soft-shelled crabs that have recently molted seem sluggish and are much easier to catch at this stage in their development. This fact, along with the soft nature of their exoskeleton makes them particularly vulnerable to predators.

The protective nature of a crab’s exoskeleton can easily be compared to a soldier’s body armor. It is the crab’s last line of defense against natural predators. If a predator manages to successfully locate a crab despite the crab’s skillful camouflaging and hiding abilities and then bypass the crab’s sharp claws, the exoskeleton offers protection while a crab decides to either fight or flee as the opportunity arises.

The protective nature of the crab’s exoskeleton is a wonderful illustration of God’s character as Protector. In Scripture, God declares Himself to be our shield, an important means of protection for an Israelite warrior. However, unlike the crab, God is not just our last line of defense. He is the only defense that we need. The Scriptures declare that He is always concerned with our protection. In Isaiah 49:16, God says that the walls (protection) of His people are always at the forefront of His thoughts.  So often when God allows challenging or difficult circumstances in our lives, we can be quick to question His ability or His will to fulfill His promise to protect us. However, what we are neglecting to consider in those moments is how many attacks of the enemy have not impacted us because of His protection. In John 10:10, Jesus Christ says that Satan’s only intention towards us is to steal, kill and destroy. His statement invokes a mental picture of a continual onslaught from the forces of evil from which God is continually protecting us. Periodically, God may allow us to experience a difficult situation in order to discipline us and shape us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Yet, that does not mean that His protective covering over us has ceased or that it has failed. He is always with us!

 
Christa Jewett