Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Environment: To Till and To Keep

 Isaiah 42

“This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:”

Prophet Isaiah was a mouthpiece for God. He proclaimed God’s words in Isaiah 42:5. The Creator displayed His magnificence, His omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence through His creation of nature. His power, capabilities and skill is unmatched. He stretched or rolled out the sky, like an unending blanket, out of nothing. He created the earth, and all that is in it. God created man, the crown of His creation on the sixth day, from the dust, in His own image and breathed His breath or Ruha into him and he became a living being. God created man with a free will to obey or disobey. God created everything necessary for man, before He made the first man. “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
Man was created with a special purpose, that is to be a good and faithful steward of all His creations. Man is told to till and to keep, not to abuse and destroy. God provided man with all the capabilities, ideas and resources to take care of the environment. We must enjoy natural beauty and use its produce without creating ecological imbalance.
We must preserve forests, as well as the natural habitat of the animals. Preserve endangered species. We must keep our bodies of water clean for the survival of fish, without dumping garbage into it. Preserve energy and water by using it wisely. Avoid air pollution; we are given air for free to breathe. We know that oxygen tanks are expensive. God did not give the environment the ability to take care of itself. We have a responsibility towards our environment, God has entrusted it to us. We will be held accountable for our failure to fulfill our responsibilities towards our environment. We must take our assignment seriously of being a faithful steward.

Prayer

Lord, open our spiritual eyes to see our environment as your creation and the wisdom to take care of it. Enable us to hear your voice. Empower us to be good stewards of our environment. Amen.
 

Thought for the Day

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭19‬:‭1‬


Saramma Chacko
Epiphany Mar Thoma Church, NY

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