It’s an amazing source of food. It is much higher in protein than beef, pork, or chicken. And this food has only a fraction of the fat. It can be bred far quicker and its yield of protein per sack of feed is far greater than any other farmed source of meat. For instance, a 100-pound sack of feed produces only 10 pounds of beef. But with this animal the same sack of feed will produce 45 pounds of meat. Consider also that a hamburger contains 18% protein and 18% fat. But this meat source contains 60% protein with only 6% fat. In other words, it’s really good for you.
So, why isn’t a hungry world breeding and feeding on this source of nutrition? Actually, they are! In fact, 80% of the world’s population consumes it.
What is this miracle meat producer? Fish? No. Lamb? No. Bugs? Bingo! That’s right, the meat that yields the highest amount of protein with the lowest amount of fat at the cheapest price consists of locusts, cicadas, dragonflies, beetle larvae, ants, grasshoppers, snails, slugs, meal worms, and – believe it or not – silverfish and cockroaches.
“Yuck! I could never live on that stuff!”
But you most certainly could, and millions of people do. Most of the world enjoys them: fried, sautéed, buttered, seasoned, chocolate-covered, sugar-coated – you name it. Millions of people live on ’em and love ’em.
It’s like many other things in life we think we’d never like, be able to stomach, or even survive. “If this ever happens to me I’d just die. If I have to go there I won’t be able to take it. If I’m forced to do this job I’ll be miserable.” We beg God to spare us from the things we fear. “Please don’t make me eat those bugs. They’ll kill me.” But God, who doesn’t want to merely broaden our horizons but cause us to grow, feeds us with that which is best for us. Despite out phobias, God allows us to taste the unfamiliar and – to our surprise – it’s not so bad. It’s even good.
“Only goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life,” wrote King David (Psalm 23:6). It’s not something terrible and fearsome that’s chasing you. It’s the goodness of the Lord in disguise.
Fresh courage take, you fearful saints,
The clouds you so much dread,
Are big with mercy and will break,
With blessings on your head.
– William Cowper
PRAYER:
Dear Father in heaven, I have such narrow ideas about how You must lead me, answer my prayers, and supply all my needs. Please, dear Lord, have Your own way in my life. I trust that You have a better idea and that whatever You bring into my life will be for my ultimate good. Amen.
