The BUG That Dropped Me to My Knees

There are moments when Scripture grabs you by the heart and refuses to let go—not because of some loud declaration or miraculous wonder—but because of a single, fragile word that stops you in your tracks.

That word for me… was worm.

In Psalm 22:6, David cries out, “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.” I’ve read this before. I’ve heard it. I’ve even wept through the piercing imagery of Psalm 22 as it echoes the sufferings of Jesus on the cross. But this time, as Easter approaches and I quieted myself to sit with this Psalm again, my attention was drawn to something that took my breath away: the Hebrew word tola.

Thanks to a powerful teaching from Kris Langham’s “Through the Word” podcast and an article I’ll link below*, I discovered tola isn’t just any worm. It’s a specific kind—the coccus ilicis. A tiny, scarlet-colored insect used to produce the crimson dye for priestly robes, tabernacle curtains, and holy coverings.

But even more awe-inspiring is how it gives its life.

When the female tola is ready to lay her eggs, she climbs a tree and attaches herself to it—so firmly, she can never leave. There, she creates a crimson shell and lays her eggs beneath her. To protect her young, she allows them to feed off her body. In this process, a bright red fluid spills out, permanently dyeing both the wood she clings to and the newborns she shelters. Three days later, the mother dies. Her body then curls into the shape of a heart, turns white like wool, and falls to the ground like snow.

And suddenly, the weight of Psalm 22 breaks over me like a tidal wave:

Jesus knew.

He was that worm.

The Savior of the world chose not just to be mocked, pierced, and crucified—but to identify with a dying worm on a tree.

That’s not poetic hyperbole. That’s prophecy in the rawest, humblest, most sacrificial form. Jesus, like the tola, climbed the wood of the cross. He bled crimson. He gave His life so others might live. His blood stained that tree and stained us—covered us. And after three days, life rose again. Just as the tola leaves behind a white, waxy remnant like snow, Isaiah 1:18 rings out with fresh glory:

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson [tola], they shall become like wool.”

How can we not stop and marvel? How can we not feel reverent wonder and drop us to our knees in worship?

As I meditated on this tiny worm and the Savior who embodied it, something inside me shifted. My soul slowed down. My striving stilled. I realized afresh: Jesus didn’t just die for the world. He bled for me. He clung to that tree… for me. Not with fanfare, not with lightning, but in quiet, willing, sacrificial love.

And He did it so that my life—your life—could be forever changed.

Dear friend, as you sit with this truth, I invite you into the silence of wonder. Into awe. Into sacred pause. And then into some honest reflection:

• What does it mean to you that Jesus referred to Himself as a tola—a worm?

• What emotions or resistance does that stir in you? Why?

• Where in your own life do you sense Him inviting you to cling to the cross—not in guilt, but in gratitude?

• How might this tiny worm redefine how you view sacrifice, humility, or even your own sense of worth?

• What might change in your daily thoughts, words, or actions if you remembered the tola every morning?

I believe these are not just poetic images from an ancient psalmist; they are invitations. Invitations to worship, to live differently, and to remember who we are and whose we are.

As Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) reminds us:

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

These masterpieces weren't made with gold or canvas. They were made with scarlet; with a Savior who became a worm so that we might become sons and daughters, HIS masterpieces.

May this Easter be more than a celebration. May it be a holy encounter with the One who bled crimson so you could live aligned to your divine design.

If you’d like help walking through these questions personally, I’m here to coach you into deeper alignment with your God-given design. This is what Masterpiece Coaching is all about.

Connect with me today. I would love to personally encourage you to further live aligned to your God-given design.

With deep awe and love,

Tami Thorsen

Masterpiece Coaching, LLC

Live Aligned to Your Design

Connect with Me HERE

*Resources for you which inspired me to write this post:

• “The Scarlet Worm” article by Steve: [link to article]

• Through the Word Podcast, Psalm 22 (B-side) by Kris Langham: [link to podcast]