To Work It And Take Care Of It

And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Genesis 1:20-28

 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Genesis 2:15

There are a number of people who think it is acceptable to use the ocean as a giant trash can. There are over three million tons of plastic debris, floating on an area larger than Texas, and it is also known that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic junk that float on every mile of our entire ocean.

During our sojourn here on earth, we have been charged, like Adam, with taking care of the earth and its creatures God has given us.

This world should remind us of the greatness of our Creator, and serve as a springboard of praise to Him. Indifferently using it as a garbage dump mars its beauty and threatens the creatures that live here. Showing respect and caring for the land, the ocean, and the air is our duty as believers in Christ.

Caring for God’s creation is the believer’s duty.

Our Daily BreadJuly 30, 2010