BRAZILIAN JEWEL!

‘Brazilian Jewel Tarantula’ photo complements of Fear Not Tarantulas.

The Brazilian Jewel Tarantula is indeed a jewel!!  (See photo above).  It is the most colorful tarantula in the world with its iridescent colors.  You can see why it is also called ‘the candy shop spider.  You can own one for only $565!  Yes, people love tarantulas!  The website, ‘fearnottarantulas.com’, sells everything you need including custom built enclosures and precise information on how to care for your tarantula.  

This particular tarantula has a leg span of 2-21/2 inches and is found in the rainforests of Brazil.  It is arboreal, living high up in the canopy of trees. It builds its silken burrow in hollows or cavities in the bark of living trees.  It is fun to watch because it also builds a camouflaged trap door on the opening of its burrow!  It waits inside until it senses movement outside and very swiftly opens the door and pounces on its prey, BAM.  It feeds on crickets, roaches and mealworms, yum!

When threatened, this normally docile tarantula can bite you and has another very interesting defensive mechanism.  It has what is called, ‘urticating’ hairs.  These hairs are microscopic, barbed bristles on their abdomen that they kick into the air toward a predator!  The barbs hook into the skin, eyes or, if inhaled stick on the inner surface of the mouth or worse yet, inside the lungs!  They cause intense itching, rashes and inflammation.  That is why it is recommended that handlers wear gloves, a mask and eye protection. 

Do you send out ‘urticating hairs’?  Words that stick like barbs in other people?  EVERYONE DOES, unfortunately at one time or another.  That is why the scripture admonishes us in Ephesians 4:29 to, ‘not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.’
The Book of Job records the words of Job’s friends that sent out an unbelievable amount of barbs in Job’s direction, trying to be ‘helpful’.  Job was suffering greatly through no fault of his own!
When God described Job, He said, ‘There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.’  Job 1:8.

Nevertheless, his ‘friends’ Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar said nasty things to Job.
Eliphaz said to Job, ‘Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed?  As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.’  Bildad says, ‘Surely God does not reject one who is blameless or strengthen the hands of evildoers.’  Zophar adds, ‘if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then, free of fault, you will lift up your face; you will stand firm and without fear.’  Even his wife said to him, ‘Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!’
What a big help they were!  ‘Job replied, you are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.’  In the end, ‘The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.’  Job 42:12. 

You can only imagine the barbs Joseph’s brothers spoke to him before they threw him down the well, or to Moses when he was exiled from the palace to the desert!

Think about Jesus!!!  
An article from CARM, Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry said it well!
‘It is obvious that Jesus, who is God in flesh, the great loving teacher, also said some pretty harsh things (barbs) to people.  He called them hypocrites, fools, blind people, blind guides, whitewashed tombs, lawless, of their father the devil, and liars.

Why would Jesus be so harsh with people? He hated their sin and despised those who hindered others from coming to a saving relationship with him.  Remember, saying harsh things to people is not automatically wrong.  But it needs to be tempered with wisdom. We need to be careful when we speak harshly and we need to attempt to be loving and kind whenever possible. But it is not wrong, in and of itself, to speak the truth when dealing with peoples’ rebellion against God.’

We can, ‘speak the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.’  Ephesians 4:15.

The Brazilian Jewel is still beautiful, even though it sends out barbs on occasion and you are too!

SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE!