To Keep the Station Open

Psalm 51:2
“Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”

One of the most unusual arrangements that fish use to keep themselves clean is found on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. That’s where fish known as the cleaner wrasse offer a cleaning service for other fish. Each cleaning station is made up of one male and a harem of females. Other fish come and wait in line for their turn to be cleaned.

The only fish not allowed at the cleaning station are male cleaner wrasse from other cleaning stations. The male jealously protects his harem. But when he dies, something most unusual happens. Within an hour of his death, the largest female in the harem begins to behave like a male. Within a couple of weeks, she has become a fully functional male, and head of the cleaning station. Without this change, the cleaning station would have to shut down, leaving a lot of unsatisfied customers to the perils of disease. Here, the Lord has provided an astonishing arrangement for the health of His creatures.

Even more astonishing was the solution which God provided to cleanse us of our sins and make us spiritually healthy. When He sent His Son Jesus Christ to suffer our punishment for our sin, He was providing the only means possible by which we can be washed of our sins and given a healthy new life in fellowship with Him.

Prayer:
Merciful Father, I thank You that You have sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, Who sacrificed Himself on the cross for my sake. Help me always to depend completely on what He has done for me rather than on my own good efforts and intentions. Amen.

Notes:
Photo: Cleaner wrasses working on dragon wrasse in Hawaii. Courtesy of Brocken Inaglory. Licensed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2.