Caring for God's Creation

     From the beginning of creation, God assigned to man the task of caring for His creation.  He was to work the ground and have dominion over every living creature.  Genesis 1:26-28 tells us:  "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'  So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  And God blessed them.  And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"
     What a great responsibility and privilege was given to man and woman.  They were created to bear the image of God and to tend all the good things He had created.  However, we know from the story told in Genesis 3 that Adam and Eve sinned against and broke fellowship with Him.  The harmony which the Lord had created was now broken.  No longer would man be able to easily work the ground, and even the relationship to all creation was disrupted including the care for and treatment of animals.  To see how the perfect creation which God has made has fallen into disrepair since the Fall of Man, we have only to look at the news.  Disappearing species of animals, pollution,
and disease has taken its toll on both creatures and man alike.  Paul wrote these words in Romans 8:21-22: "21that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now."  With the fall, we have all seen the corruption of sin and its effects upon this world.  Recently, some terrible examples have been prominent in the headlines.
     A man in Arcadia, FL poured gasoline over his dog and set him on fire.  The animal was not killed but suffered serious burns.  He was rescued and underwent weeks of intensive treatment to save his life and his vision.  A team of veterinarians in the Tampa Bay area worked very hard to save his life.  Seeing recent pictures of this dog demonstrates his return to health.  We can only shake our head in wonder as to how someone could do such a thing.
     In another case, as yet unresolved, the police found a dog drowned with a cinder block tied to it.  No one knows who did this deed but again, why would someone want to harm an innocent animal?  There are rescue shelters, ads that can be placed in the newspaper, and even neighbors who might want this dog.  However, it all goes back to the heart of the problem.  Man is fallen.  His heart is darkened by sin and he only thinks of himself.  This spreads to every relationship and to the treatment of animals.

When God regenerates a heart and man turns from his sin to Christ, we see a different picture.  No longer is man cruel to his neighbor or to the beasts which God has given to his care.
     Proverbs 12:10 reads:  "Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel."  The footnote in my Reformation Study Bible says:  "God takes account of our treatment of animals.  This is consistent with concern for the right order of things in the world.  The wicked person is incapable of kindness even towards his livestock."  There is the difference between those who have a new heart from God through Christ and those who do not.
     A friend of mine told me that we can tell a lot about a man's character by how he treats his animals, and I have to agree.  Cruelty to animals, disregard for God's creation, and animosity towards others all point to a fallen nature.  As my husband would say, "It all goes back to the Garden."
     Through Christ, we have the privilege of having our sins forgiven through His sacrifice on the cross.  We receive a new heart and see all that God has created through His eyes.  With that new outlook,  we are meant to love one another and fulfill the mandate which God gave to man from the beginning.  Having dominion over this earth and creation means we are to take care of it for the glory of God.  As believers, let us look with new wonder at all that God has made.  Then, may we be found faithful to care for God's creation as He has called us to do.  Selah!

UNBELIEVABLE GRANDEUR

     On one of our family vacations, we decided to visit a much talked about mansion in the western part of North Carolina.  Arriving in Asheville, we really had no idea what the Biltmore Estate would be like until we got our first glimpse of it.  I will never forget the view.  It was breathtaking.  I could hardly fathom how this French chateau could have been built in the late 19th century over a six year period.  The cost was astronomical (historians believe it was close to 10 million) and the setting was one of grandeur.
     George Vanderbilt commissioned the architect Richard Morris Hunt to create a house modeled after three other chateaus built in 16th century France.  The house, itself, covers 4 acres of floor space.  There are 250 rooms, 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms and 65 fireplaces.  Can you imagine keeping that clean?  In the basement of this palatial home, there was a swimming pool, gymnasium with changing rooms, a bowling alley, servant's quarters, kitchens and more.  The grounds of the original estate included 125,000 acres.  No small place!  A horticulturalist, Frederick Law Olmstead, designed the grounds and created beautiful gardens around the home itself.  In addition, the home boasted telephones and electric lighting which at the time was considered very modern.
     As we toured through the rooms, I found it hard to even imagine the wealth, the grand parties and other events that took place there.  No money was spared in terms of furnishing this home, and it was taken care of by 40 live-in servants with many more working on the grounds.  Yet, despite the opulence and grandeur, one fact remained.  Even this great chateau cannot compare to the grandeur of our God and our Creator.  The works of His hands far surpass any creation of man.  To get a better perspective, read Psalm 19 in its entirety.  We will look at a few specific verses from this Psalm of David.
     In the first six verses of this Psalm, David describes the matchless grandeur of God's creation.  Verse 1 reads:  "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork."  Everywhere we turn, we cannot miss the unique beauty of all that God has made.  David describes the sun as having a tent or place to retreat at night.  The poetic imagery captures God's infinite power to make a star so great that "nothing is hidden from its heat" (verse 6b).  The Apostle Paul picks up on the majesty of God's creation when he writes this in his letter to the Romans (chapter 1:19-20):  "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.  For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made.  So they are without excuse."  Neither David nor Paul could conceive how anyone could miss the grandeur of God.  It is all around us!  We can see it day to day.  Therefore, we are without excuse if we miss the great "I Am".  From the vastness of our orderly universe down to the tiniest living cell, the handprint of God, our breath of life, is seen in every color, scent, and construction.
     Even more than creation, we find the greatness of God revealed through His Word which makes plain to us how we can live in this world He made for us.  Verses 7-11 show us the path.  God's law is perfect and revives our soul in verse 7.  His precepts are right which brings rejoicing to our heart (vs. 8). He opens our eyes by His pure commandments (vs.9), and we are made clean by the fear of the Lord.  God's rules are true, righteous and sweeter than honey.  They are more valuable than gold (vs. 10).  We are warned by His commandments, and when we keep them, we find great reward (vs. 11).  These are the furnishings which God has so powerfully provided for us so that our lives can be filled with joy in His presence.  Just as the elegant trappings of the Biltmore House were designed to provide for every need of the guests who came there, so God has provided all that we have need of in the Bible.   As we look into His perfect Word, we find out who He is and the grandeur of His provision for us.
     Of course, the final revelation of God's grandeur came in our Lord Jesus Christ, His only Son.  He came to pay the price for our sins, and to break the chains which held us captive.  In Him, we have life everlasting, and through Him, we come to an even greater understanding of who God is for He revealed the Father to us.  As He said when His disciple Philip asked to see the Father, "Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip?  Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.  How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?  The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does His works'" (John 14:9-10).  All the miracles from healing the sick to raising the dead were proof of who Jesus Christ was...God incarnate.  This was God's greatest act of grandeur in sending His Son to bring about our salvation.
     To be certain, having the opportunity to visit Biltmore House and estate was quite an experience.  I have been back since that first visit and am still overcome by the vastness of the architecture and grounds.  However, even the grandest of homes cannot compare to God's grandeur in His creation, His Word and His Son.  The estate has now shrunk from 125,000 acres to 8,000 acres, and in 1930, Cornelia Vanderbilt Cecil (the daughter of George and Edith Vanderbilt) opened the home to the public in order to pay for the upkeep.  In addition, George Vanderbilt who spent most of his fortune to build this home died at the age of 51 never being able to enjoy a long life on this beautiful estate.  However, as Christians, we know that God's mercy and grandeur is new every morning.  He will never pass away and neither will His Word, and one day, He will come again to give us a new heaven and a new earth.  What a future we have before us living and walking in His presence!  May our prayer be the same as the one that David closed Psalm 19 with:  "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer" (vs. 14).  Now pause and think about that.

How would you describe God's grandeur?  How does He reveal Himself to you?  I welcome your thoughts today.