Each April, we rejoice a spot all of us call home on Earth Day. We all have our differences, opinions, and insights on topics, but we will all agree that the planet we share is a present. As children of God, we’ve got a very important role and responsibility to take care of the planet He gave us as a present. What does it mean then to rejoice Earth Day from a Christian perspective?
Eden’s Instructions
God is the Creator of all that was, is, and will likely be, and it is evident from the very start of the Universe as a complete that He intended for Earth to be something of beauty. When God made man, He first placed him within the Garden of Eden. In Hebrew, the word “Eden” means “delight.” There isn’t any coincidence here, as Eden was the world in perfection. It was crammed with lush vegetation, animals who lived in peace, and pure, unfiltered delight. God formed the primary man, Adam, from the very dirt of Eden and breathed His Ruach, or Spirit, into the person in order that he may come alive. We are told in Genesis 1:26-28, “Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, in keeping with our likeness; and allow them to have dominion over the fish of the ocean, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all of the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So, God created humankind in his image, within the image of God, he created them. Male and feminine he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the ocean and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”
Even from the very dwelling of Eden, God made His desires known that the entire Earth needed to be cared for and revered.
Post-Eden Earth Care
After the autumn of man, Adam and Eve were forged from the Garden of Eden into the remainder of the Earth. In Genesis 3:18, we see that the remainder of the Earth was not as comfortable as Eden and required more work, “you’ll eat the plants of the sector. By the sweat of your brow you’ll eat your food until you come back to the bottom, since from it you were taken; for dust you’re and to dust you’ll return.”
Earth was not the Garden of Delight, and it required blood, sweat, and elbow grease to supply what was needed for man to survive. It is significant to comprehend that although this was and still is true, Adam and Eve’s responsibility to take care of the Earth was not negated simply because they left the Garden. Even today, we’re called to be good stewards of the planet all of us call home.
How to Care for the Land
As ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth, we’re given a good heavier call in what it means to steward and subdue the Earth, for we not only are abiding here, but we’re also representing Christ in our lives. The Bible instructs the way to work the soil for its highest profit in Leviticus 25:2-5, “Speak to the youngsters of Israel, and say to them, “When you come into the land which I offer you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to the LORD. Six years you shall sow your field, and 6 years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in its fruit; but within the seventh 12 months there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the LORD. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it’s a 12 months of rest for the land.”
Instructions equivalent to these got in order that man would properly honor and respect the very soil we’ve got been given as a present from God. As a form and loving Father, He gave us this land, soil, and skill to grow food to supply and take care of us, and we’d like to acknowledge the gift that’s. In an application for us today, we must ask if actions we take as human beings will hurt or harm the very land we rely upon for provision.
Care for Creatures
The Bible also gives us instructions on the way to take care of God’s creation of animals. Proverbs 12:10 shares, “Good people care for their animals.” We may see throughout Scripture that nature and the creatures who abide in nature matter to God. We can learn a lot from nature if we elect to honor and learn from it. Job 12:7-10 explains, “But ask the animals, and they’re going to teach you, or the birds within the sky, and they’re going to let you know; or speak to the Earth, and it is going to teach you, or let the fish in the ocean inform you. Which of all these doesn’t know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the lifetime of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”
Nature can provide us with metaphors, understanding, and revelations which can be from the very heart of God. Scripture also says that not even a sparrow can fall from the bottom without His permission. He sees the sparrows and sees us too. We should have a heart for all creation of God, not only parts.
What it Means for Us
As stewards this Earth Day, allow us to come before the Lord in honest and sincere prayer to see what He has for us to do for Him as His ambassadors. This Earth is a precious gift that gives us with all the pieces needed for our fleshly bodies to survive, and we must honor what we live upon. Let’s ask God how we will live with the Earth, not on it, and the way He would instruct us to honor the dear gift He has given.
Prayer:
Father God,
Thank you for our planet. You knew and planned each facet and detail needed in order that life couldn’t merely survive but abundantly thrive on this planet. Lord, we would like to honor the instruction You gave Adam and Eve to maintain this Earth. Please speak to us clearly and provides us an understanding of how we may do this and the way we may honor You in the midst of things. Let us not change into so caught up in politics or problems with man that we neglect to keep in mind that at the tip of the day, what matters most on this Earth is that we’re working to bring Your Kingdom here. Father, may Your will likely be done here on Earth because it is in Heaven.
In the Name of Christ, we earnestly pray,
Amen
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Cally Logan is an creator and US History teacher from Richmond, Virginia. Her works have been featured on “The 700 Club Interactive” and Christine Caine’s “Propel Women,” amongst several notable outlets. She served as a mentor for young women for several years and enjoys difficult ladies to develop deeper relationships with God and to live fearlessly and authentically. She received her B.A. Degree from Regent University. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time in nature, having real chats over coffee, and woodworking. Her latest book, The Wallflower That Bloomed, will likely be available in all places on May 1, 2024. It is ready to be featured in Jesus Calling and on The 700 Club on May 28, 2024. @CallyLogan Instagram CallyLogan.com
