Cicadas have always been to me the sound of summer as I am sure they are for many people in Australia. As a child like most children, I collected cicadas. The Black Prince was especially prized.
In the teenage years, I had a cousin who had a cicada shell gilded and made into a brooch. It was certainly a talking point.
When we lived in Millthorpe I didn’t wake up at first what was different about summer. Then it hit me – no cicadas. It was only when I went into bible study one evening in Orange that I noticed the noise that had been missing.
Considering the amount of bush and number of trees we have around our way, I’m surprised that the noise from cicadas has not been more. But maybe it’s because we also have an abundant bird population which manages to trim the numbers of the clacking insects down.
One local school recently found a creative use for discarded cicada shells. They glued them onto paper plates sprayed it all silver and made wall hangings.
Christians need to be like cicadas in one way but not in others. Just as the cicada sheds its shell, Christians need to shrug off sins and habits that hold them back in their Christian life. We can do this by asking the Holy Spirit to pinpoint those sins in our lives that need to be dealt with.
On the other hand, cicadas tend to be extremely noisy and wearing on the eardrums. As Christians we need to not bombard people with the gospel and what the Bible has to say, but to do it ‘with gentleness and reverence,’ 1 Peter 3:15.
We need to ask the Lord to show us exactly when to speak and when to be silent. That is not easy to do, particularly when we are concerned about the other person. Yet, the bible reminds us that sometimes an unbelieving husband or one disobedient to God’s Word can be won to the Lord. not by nagging and quoting bible verses at him or pressuring him to come to church, but by living out our faith each day, living a quiet life and showing respect for our husbands, I Peter 3:1-4.
Bible verses from The new American Standard Version
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