MARCH 26, 2013
Our
Father’s World
Read: Genesis 1:26-28
The earth is the Lord’s,
and all its fullness, the world and those who
dwell therein. —Psalm 24:1
When
Amanda Benavides was a sophomore at Point Loma Nazarene
University in San
Diego, California, she began to rethink her views on
Christian stewardship of the
earth. Amanda had grown up thinking that
being conscious of the environment had
nothing to do with her relationship
with Jesus. All this changed when she was
challenged to consider the Christian’s
role in caring for the planet—especially
how that relates to reaching the most
needy in the world.
Our
stewardship of the beautiful world God gave us, and our care for the people
in
it, express our reverence for God and is grounded in two biblical principles.
First,
the earth belongs to God (Ps. 24:1-2). The psalmist praised the Lord for
His
creation and His ownership of it. The heavens, the earth, and all that are in
it are His. He created it, He is sovereign over it (93:1-2), and He cares for
it
(Matt. 6:26-30). Second, God delegated the responsibility for the well-being
of His earth to us (Gen. 1:26-28). This includes appreciation of and care for
both nature (Lev. 25:2-5,11; Prov. 12:10) and people (Rom. 15:2).
This
is our Father’s world. Let’s show Him how much we love Him by respecting
it and
caring for the people who populate it.
The natural world that God has made
Must not be used at whim;
We serve as stewards of His earth,
Responsible to Him. —D. DeHaan
To mistreat God’s creation is to offend the Creator.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
