Amazing Animals: The Cheetah

Amazing Animals: The Cheetah

Bible Blast: Read 1 Corinthians 9:23-25

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 1 Corinthians 9:24

Can you tell the difference between a cheetah and a leopard? A leopard has a thick, muscular build. The cheetah is long and lean. A leopard has white lining under its eyes to help it see better for nighttime hunting. The cheetah has black lines running from its eyes down the sides of its nose and mouth to help keep the sun out of its eyes for better daytime hunting. Leopards have larger heads and ears than cheetahs, because cheetahs have small heads for better aerodynamics when they run. The cheetah has black spots all over its body. The leopard’s fur pattern has spots that are outlined in black, but are not solid spots.

The cheetah is the fastest land animal God created. It can run up to seventy-five miles per hour. That’s faster than most legal speed limits! When an animal does something really special, I love to see exactly how God designed that animal to be so unique.

Cheetahs have long legs that help them cover more ground more quickly than any other animal. Their claws aren’t retractable (except for one hunting claw) like a dog’s are, so they’re always ready to grip the ground for running. The cheetah’s tail is long and strong with a flattened end. This specially designed tail helps the cheetah steer and stay balanced when it turns at high speeds. Enlarged nostrils, sinuses, lungs, and heart allow the cheetah to take in more oxygen when sprinting.

God truly designed the cheetah to run. He designed us to run, too, but instead of running after a gazelle, we run after a different prize—bringing people to Christ. When the apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 9:24, he was talking about a race to bring people to Jesus. Part of giving your life to Jesus is running as fast as you can to help those who don’t know him. Just like the cheetah, you should always have your feet ready to sprint to anyone who needs Christ (see Ephesians 6:15). With his help, you’ll be able to cover a lot of ground.

Girl Gab: Find video clips of a cheetah in action. Notice how its body moves, especially the tail. Are you ready to run this race of bringing people to the knowledge of Jesus Christ?