How should recognizing God's creation influence our stewardship of the earth? God’s Own Words About His Creation (Acts 7:50) “Has not My hand made all these things?” • Because God Himself claims authorship, every mountain, ocean, animal, and atom is stamped “Made by Yahweh.” • If He made it, He owns it; if He owns it, we are managers, not masters. Ownership Determines Stewardship • Psalm 24:1 — “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.” • Psalm 115:16 — “The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth He has given to mankind.” → God delegates care without surrendering title. • Genesis 1:28 — We are to “rule over” creation; Genesis 2:15 — we are to “cultivate and keep” it. Both verbs balance authority with protection. Seeing the Creator in Creation Shapes Our Attitude • Romans 1:20 — Creation displays God’s “eternal power and divine nature.” Ignoring the earth dims our view of Him. • Colossians 1:16-17 — “All things were created through Him and for Him… in Him all things hold together.” The ongoing cohesion of the universe depends on Christ; careless exploitation dishonors His sustaining work. • Reverence replaces consumerism when every breeze and bird becomes a reminder of the Father’s craftsmanship. Practical Marks of Faithful Stewardship • Gratitude — Receive resources (water, soil, energy) as gifts, not entitlements. • Restraint — Use, don’t waste (Proverbs 21:20). • Restoration — Return something better than you found it: plant, repair, recycle, replenish (Genesis 2:15). • Justice — Guard the poor and future generations from pollution and depletion (Proverbs 14:31). • Witness — Lives that honor creation open doors to speak of the Creator (Matthew 5:16). Everyday Applications • Budget for energy-efficient choices; wasting less honors the Giver. • Support or volunteer in habitat restoration—practical “cultivating and keeping.” • Teach children the names of stars, trees, and birds so they learn to praise, not plunder. • Plan Sabbath-style pauses outdoors; let creation re-tune your heart to its Maker. • Evaluate business or farm practices: profit without stewardship is short-sighted ownership theft. Accountability on the Horizon • Revelation 11:18 warns of judgment on “those who destroy the earth.” The Owner will audit His managers. • Living with that day in view turns mundane choices—trash, technology, transportation—into acts of worship. Recognizing the hand that “made all these things” moves us from exploitation to caretaking, from indifference to doxology, and from short-term gain to eternal reward. |
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