The Privilege Of Stewardship

[Walter and Deborah]

Thursday 8-4-22 5th. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Av 5 5782 45th. Summer Day

The Privilege of Stewardship

 

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Read: Genesis 1:20–21, 24–28 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 66–67; Romans 7

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Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground. Genesis 1:28

While on vacation, my husband and I walked along the beach and noticed a large, square patch of sand blocked off by a makeshift fence. A young man explained that he worked around the clock with a team of volunteers committed to guarding the eggs in each sea turtle’s nest.

Once the hatchlings emerge from their nest, the presence of both animals and humans threaten and decrease their chance of survival. “Even with all our efforts,” he said, “scientists estimate that only one out of every five thousand hatchlings reach adulthood.” These bleak numbers didn’t discourage this young man, however. His passion for selflessly serving the hatchlings deepened my desire for respecting and protecting sea turtles.

Now I wear a sea turtle pendant that reminds me of my God-given responsibility to care for the creatures He’s made.
When God created the world, He provided a habitat in which each creature could live and thrive (Genesis 1:20–25).

When He created His image-bearers, God intended for us to “rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground” (v. 26). He helps us serve Him as responsible stewards who use our God-given authority to care for His vast creation.

In what ways have you cared for God’s creation? How can you become a better steward of it this week?
Loving Creator and Sustainer of all, please show me tangible ways I can fulfill my responsibility as a steward of Your creation and inspire others to care for the world You’ve entrusted to us.

INSIGHT

In Genesis 1:28, God commissioned human beings with the task of caring for His creation. But we’ve turned away from worshiping the Creator and have worshiped the creation instead. The apostle Paul noted that even though humanity “knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21).

As a result, they worshiped images of humans and animals instead of God (vv. 22–23). Stewardship of creation is ordained by God. Worship of that creation instead of the Creator is an affront to Him.

By Xochitl Dixon|August 4th, 2022

Creation Care Genesis 1:20-21, 24-28

20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
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Genesis 1:24-28


24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

26 And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Love, Walter and Debbie

 

Love, Walter and Debbie

Edited August 4, 2022 by Walter and Deborah
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[Mama Etna]

The place of mankind on the created order is often ignored.  Also ignored frequently is our responsibility to take care of the created order.  I appreciated this devotional.