There Could Be Magic Dragons

Psalm 148:7, 10
“Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all the depths… beasts and all cattle; creeping things and flying fowl…”

Numerous television programs have been made about the Komodo dragon and the creatures are even going on display at some zoos. Reaching up to 400 pounds, they can even outrun a man. And they eat anything that they find dead or alive. Even a simple bite from a dragon will prove fatal within 72 hours unless you get immediate treatment. That’s because its saliva contains 52 different deadly strains of bacteria that will produce blood poisoning. Its jagged, inch‑long teeth make a tearing wound that ensures that plenty of poison will be delivered to your system. Even if you were bitten and escape, the Komodo dragon will be able to smell you from two miles away when its poison takes effect. These facts may lead some to ask not only why God made such a creature, but why He has preserved them to this day?

Besides demonstrating variety in God’s creation, the Komodo dragon may eventually save more lives than it has ever taken. When the dragon eats, its teeth tear its own gums, exposing its blood to those toxic bacteria. But the dragon never gets infected. Scientists have learned why. They have identified a protein molecule in its blood stream that kills all those toxic bacteria in its saliva. That protein is now being tested on mice. It could well be that the Komodo dragon has shown us the path to a super antibiotic that could treat the blood poisoning that kills hundreds of thousands of people every year. If so, this creature will again glorify God by giving us an important medical advance.

Prayer: I thank You, Lord, that You have graciously placed secrets in so many creatures that can help us in this life. Amen.

Author: Paul A. Bartz

Ref: Brian Eads, Last Stand of the Komodo Dragon, Reader’s Digest, August 1999, p.80. Photo: Pixabay (PD)

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