Spiders & Webs

I thought today was an appropriate time to pull out a message about spiders…I hope you enjoy it.

Another misunderstood creature, the spider. There are very few of us who like spiders and don’t try to kill them or destroy their beautiful masterpiece almost immediately upon creation. Either by accidently running into one or purposely knocking it down. I am guilty of it as well. But I do love to watch them in action and see the design and details they put into their work. Unless the fresh, fallen dew has highlighted the work that went into a new web, on an early crisp fall morning, we don’t usually see them until it is too late. There is nothing like a face full of web to start your day.

But seriously, a spider has everything inside it to survive every day and provide for all its needs. The silk used to make the web has many uses. God designed it, kind of like a swiss army knife, not only for survival but everyday life.

Did you know a spider’s web reflects ultraviolet light? Some scientists believe they use this mechanism to lure other prey into the web because insects like to fly towards light. But they also use the silk to catch their prey. Since most web-weaving spiders have poor eyesight, they are equipped instead with a sense for movements and can detect vibrations on the web. (Hence the term, Spidey senses.) This allows them to sense movements as small as the width of a human hair.

The intricate details of its design not only look like a form of art but also serve a purpose that the spider uses naturally. But it comes at a cost. Silk production is made from protein molecules that take a lot of energy from the spider. (I will think about that before destroying one so quickly next time.)

There are many speculations from arachnologists who wonder why a spider uses so much of its energy to make such a design. Some theories include stability, visibility, camouflage, prey attraction, mate attraction and even to expend excess silk.  Even if the experts can’t figure out this mystery, God designed spider silk to be one of the best building materials that is both strong and elastic.  It can withstand a lot of strain before breaking, it conducts heat and has antibiotic properties.

Spider silk is also made from protein, produced by a gland in the spider’s abdomen. The gland can store silk protein in liquid form. When it needs silk, the liquefied protein passes through a canal where it gets an acid bath. As the PH of the silk protein is lowered it changes structure. The pulling motion from the spinnerets puts tension on the substance to help it harden in a solid as it emerges.

The firmer protein crystals give silk its strength while the softer protein provides elasticity. Spiders are great recyclers by eating their webs in many instances. They also use their sulk to travel, to keep from falling, to find its way back home, as a shelter, to mate, and protect their offspring.

God also puts His Spirit inside us and gives us gifts we can use in our everyday life that reflect His light. We have everything we need inside us for our everyday living. But most of us only use it or call on it when we are in survival mode. God designed us to call on Him for our every day, walking around life, to allow the Spirit to think, live and love through us, like we were designed.

How are we using the gifts and talents He placed inside us? Are we building masterpieces and creating beautiful ways to reflect His light? Are we calling on Him in our everyday life or winging it and missing the beauty of His design?

We can weave some fantastic webs in our lives, but do they serve us well or trap us? If we believe the lies of the enemy, we can get ourselves caught up in a sticky web of deceit and start to believe what he says about us. But God speaks truth- only God can define us and He helps us escape the enemy that wants to hold us back.

As I was preparing to write this message, I saw a spider in my bathroom, and I heard this message: “You have everything inside you to carry out your purpose in this life. I have equipped you for this moment.” It also coincided with the day I signed the agreement to publish my books: Beyond Yourself, A Spiritual Awakening and Quiet Moments, Mornings with the Holy Spirit.

Enjoy life, accept your lot in life, this is indeed a gift from God. Eccl. 5:18-20

Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone. Psalm 31:4

Hadley, D. (2018) Why Spiders Decorate Their Webs Theories About the Purpose of Web Stabillimentum Accessed October 2, 2018 through https://www.thoughtco.com/why-spiders-decorate-their-webs-1968569