The concept of God preserving natural life is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, emphasizing His sovereignty, providence, and care for all creation. From the smallest creatures to the grandest elements of nature, Scripture affirms that God is actively involved in sustaining life.

Divine Sovereignty and Sustenance

The Bible begins with the affirmation of God as the Creator of all life. Genesis 1:1 states, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." This foundational truth establishes God's authority over all creation. His role as sustainer is further highlighted in passages such as Colossians 1:17, which declares, "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." This verse underscores the belief that God not only created life but also continuously upholds it.

God's Care for Creation

The Psalms frequently reflect on God's care for the natural world. Psalm 104 is a poetic celebration of God's provision, detailing how He provides for the needs of all creatures. Verses 27-28 state, "All creatures look to You to give them their food in due season. When You give it to them, they gather it up; when You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things." This imagery portrays God as a benevolent provider, ensuring that every living being receives sustenance.

The Seasons and Natural Order

God's preservation of life is also evident in the natural order and the changing seasons. Genesis 8:22 promises, "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall never cease." This assurance given to Noah after the flood highlights God's commitment to maintaining the cycles of nature, which are essential for sustaining life on earth.

God's Provision in Times of Need

Throughout the Bible, there are numerous accounts of God providing for His people in times of need, demonstrating His power to preserve life even in adverse circumstances. In the wilderness, God provided manna for the Israelites (Exodus 16), and during a famine, He sent ravens to feed Elijah (1 Kings 17:6). These accounts illustrate God's ability to intervene supernaturally to sustain His creation.

Human Responsibility and Stewardship

While God is the ultimate preserver of life, Scripture also calls humans to participate in the stewardship of creation. Genesis 2:15 describes how God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden "to work it and take care of it." This mandate implies a responsibility to care for the environment and the life it supports, recognizing that humans are entrusted with the task of preserving the natural world as part of God's creation.

Trust in God's Provision

Believers are encouraged to trust in God's provision and care for their needs. Jesus taught in Matthew 6:26, "Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" This teaching reassures believers of God's attentive care and His ability to provide for all aspects of life.

Conclusion

The biblical narrative consistently affirms that God is the preserver of natural life, actively sustaining and providing for His creation. Through His sovereignty, care, and provision, God demonstrates His ongoing involvement in the world, ensuring the continuity and flourishing of life.Psalm 36:6
Your righteousness is like the great mountains; your judgments are a great deep: O LORD, you preserve man and beast.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 66:9
Which holds our soul in life, and suffers not our feet to be moved.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Of the Universal Peace which the Law of Nature Preserves through ...
... in anguish bewail the loss of the natural advantages they ... God, then, the most wise
Creator and most just Ordainer ... some good things adapted to this life, to wit ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 13 of the universal peace.htm

Life.
... True, the seeds, the animals came by natural causes: but ... it is true""O Holy Spirit,
by whom God inspires, and ... Spirit is the Lord and Giver of life; and the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon xvii life.htm

Whether God Always Loves Better Things the More
... Yet the natural condition of an angel is better than that of a man ... to be set free
and to draw near to God; but that God loves the contemplative life the more ...
/.../aquinas/nature and grace/article four whether god always.htm

Note C. The Holiness of God.
... The good in God must not be from mere natural impulse only, flowing from the ... we worship
and fear, obey and love; it is in a life with God, that something ...
//christianbookshelf.org/murray/holy in christ/note c the holiness of.htm

Whether God Always Loves More the Better Things?
... But as to natural condition an angel is better than a man. ... God, he says, loves
more the contemplative life, since He preserves it longer. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether god always loves more.htm

Thereafter He Expounds the Appellation of "Son," and of "Product ...
... of metaphor, and to those where the natural relation, as ... of darkness becomes, by
his decent life, a child of light, so too the Only-begotten God received the ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 6 thereafter he expounds.htm

What Produces Peace, and what Discord, Between the Heavenly and ...
... manner, in the soul, to one god the natural capacity was ... lust; and so the various
affairs of life were assigned ... worship of the one supreme and true God is thus ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 17 what produces peace and.htm

The Canons of Dordt
... 5 Who teach: That the corrupt and natural man can ... Article 6 But God, who is rich
in mercy, according to ... moreover testifies that believers in this life have to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/various/the canons of dordt/

Conversion --Human Agency In
... If the natural man cannot even see, discern, or know ... the last day, and will grant
everlasting life to me ... supplies each hour I meet, While pressing on to God. ...
/.../chapter xx conversionhuman agency in.htm

To the Anziani and Consuls and Gonfalonieri of Bologna
... and casts us into darkness, robs us of life and condemns ... union of those who are united
by natural love and ... only living in the fear of God preserves their state ...
/.../benincasa/letters of catherine benincasa/to the anziani and consuls.htm

What did Jesus mean when He promised an abundant life? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of life? | GotQuestions.org

Is there a difference between the book of life and the Lamb's book of life? | GotQuestions.org

Life: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus