Children's Bible Ministry of Connecticut, Inc.

What is It?

It has no eyes, but is sensitive to light; has no teeth, but a strong mouth muscle. Usually reddish-gray with ring-like segments, it lives in the ground, but comes to the surface at night. It has no lungs; it breathes through its skin. It is usually three to fourteen inches in length though there are some in South Africa known to be 22 feet long! It can grow back a part cut off if not too damaged. It eats the dirt, almost anything that was once alive, but is now dead. It eats about one third of its body weight a day. It is just one of 250,000 in an acre of poor soil, one of 1,750,000 in an acre of good farm soil and yet of vital importance. One scientist said that there are few other animals that have played as important a part in history as the earthworm.

The earthworm or night crawler feeds on nutrients from rotting leaves and roots and redeposits as nutrient rich soil what it does not use for itself. One study found that "the soil the earthworm produces contains five times more nitrogen, twice as much calcium, 2½ times more magnesium, seven times more phosphorus, and 11 times more potassium" than soil enriched with fertilizers. And in the process of feeding the earthworm drills holes, loosening the soil and allowing plants roots to breathe and water to escape. Such a lowly, small creature, but oh, so useful and important!

We, too, are small creatures in the light of the vast universe. [In fact God, the Creator, speaks of Jacob in Isaiah 41:14 as a worm-Fear not, you worm Jacob . . . !] And yet we play a vital part in God's overall plan and purpose of making Himself known. Through His creation God demonstrates His power and wisdom. Through His death, burial, and resurrection God shows His hatred of sin and His love for the sinner. Do you know your Maker? Are you trusting Him?

"Fear not, you worm Jacob . . . ! I will help you, says the LORD and your Redeemer . . ." (Isaiah 41:14).