How can Ezekiel 34:18 guide us in practicing stewardship over God's creation? The text: Ezekiel 34:18 “Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Isn’t it enough for you to drink the clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?” What the verse teaches • God observes how His people treat shared resources. • Consuming without regard for what remains dishonors Him. • Spoiling what others could use is called out as sin. • Abundance is not a license for waste; it is an invitation to responsible care. Connecting stewardship to creation • The “pasture” and “water” point to land and life-giving resources. • Shepherds who damage these gifts mirror anyone who pollutes earth or water today. • Because Scripture is literal and accurate, this rebuke carries timeless authority for how we handle soil, streams, air, forests, and wildlife. Practical applications today • Use only what is needed; leave margin for others—people, wildlife, future generations. • Refrain from littering, dumping, or excessive consumption that “tramples” or “muddies” creation. • Support farming, ranching, and business practices that conserve soil health and water purity. • Reduce single-use plastics, recycle, and dispose of chemicals properly to keep waterways clear. • Volunteer in habitat restoration or community clean-ups as modern expressions of tending God’s pasture. • Teach children to value God’s earth, modeling gratitude rather than entitlement. • Pray over daily choices—energy use, food waste, purchasing habits—seeking the Lord’s wisdom in every decision. More scriptural support • Genesis 1:28—“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; rule over… every living thing.” Dominion is stewardship, not destruction. • Genesis 2:15—“Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Guarding creation was humanity’s first assignment. • Psalm 24:1—“The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof.” We care for what belongs to Him. • Colossians 1:16-17—All things were created through Christ and for Him; He holds them together. Reverence for creation honors its Maker. • Proverbs 12:10—“A righteous man regards the life of his animal.” Kind treatment of creatures reflects righteousness. • Matthew 25:21—“Well done, good and faithful servant.” Faithfulness in little—including daily environmental choices—prepares us for greater trust from the Lord. Living out Ezekiel 34:18 • Remember whose pasture this is: God’s. • Enjoy His provision with gratitude. • Guard the remaining grass and water for those who come after you. • In so doing, you will worship the Creator while blessing neighbors and passing to future generations a creation that still sings His praise. |
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