“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.”

Psalm 24:1-2

Sweet friends, today is Earth Day and so it is fitting to both celebrate the beauty and provision of the Lord’s creation and to remind ourselves of our responsibility to be faithful stewards of it.

As we think about our responsibility as stewards of the earth, it is helpful to begin at the very beginning – the Garden of Eden.

In Genesis 1:27-28, we read that God set Adam and Eve over the creatures and plants of the earth, to tame them and to rule over them. In Genesis 2:15 and Genesis 3:23, God directs Adam and Eve to work and keep the land that God had made.

The land God had made.

You see, God placed Adam and Eve over creation – gave them the responsibility to tame and rule and work and protect – but the earth itself, that belongs to the Lord God. Adam and Eve – and by extension, we – are not the owners of the earth, but rather the stewards or managers of all that God has created.

Dear heart, have you ever stopped to consider what trust and faith God must have in us to protect His creation and make good use of it?

He must trust us very much to give us such a big responsibility!

We also know that He wants us to be successful with our responsibility because His Word makes it clear to us that He equips us with all we need to complete the tasks that He has given us:

• He equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17).
• He equips us to complete His will and do what pleases Him (Hebrews 13:20-21; Philippians 2:13).
• He gives us special gifts (1 Peter 4:10).
• He has prepared good works in advance for each of us to do (Ephesians 4:12-13).

As we look at the responsibility God has given us to care for His creation and at the verses showing how He equips us to do so, it is important to remember that we – all of humanity – are also His creations. Therefore, as we take care of creation, we must also remember to take care of each other. God equips us and gifts us to be faithful stewards over the earth and everything that lives in it – including each other.

When Cain killed Able, God asked him where Able was (though He already knew) and Cain asked God in return, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). Well, according to Genesis Chapters 1-3, yes, yes Cain was Able’s keeper. As part of creation, which man is set over to work and to keep, Able was Cain’s responsibility to care for and Cain was Able’s and of course both were Adam and Eve’s.

Jesus reiterates this thought when He tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, stating that a man should care for His neighbor and that everyone who’s lives we touch is our neighbor (Luke 10:25-37).

Beloved, as we celebrate Earth Day today, let us first remember to celebrate our Lord God who made the heavens and the earth and all living things!

Let us thank Him for His great trust in us to work and to keep His beautiful creation!

Let us recall our responsibility to Him, for everything we touch or see or hear or smell or taste belongs to Him and meditate on how best we can steward His creation for His glory.

Let us remember that it is not just the earth or the plants or the animals that we have a responsibility to care for, but it is also each other, our fellow man that God gifts and equips us to nurture and protect.

Thank you Father for Your great trust in us!

May we be found faithful stewards of all that You have granted to us!

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