Day 339: Take Care of the Planet

Genesis 1:26

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 2:15

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

Let’s talk about the Earth and how we treat it. This is a subject that’s not usually covered on the list of things to talk about in church or bible study, but it is very important. Preserving our planet and taking care of it is important. God gave us the responsibility to keep it.  He gave us dominion over the earth, let’s not neglect and make sure we take care of it. Because it is our home until we leave it one day to be reunited with Christ in heaven, but until then, we have a duty to take care of our home.

I’m not sure why it’s looked down upon to take care of the planet or care about the earth. When God created everything He had us in mind. So when He created us He gave us dominion over all the things of the earth. If being called a tree-hugger is what we have to endure because we want to take care of what God has blessed us with then so be it. I want to talk about this one because it is important and two because we tend to forget that even the earth is a gift from God. It is something He created and gave to us. Why are we not taking care of it? This land is our home. It is where we get our source of everything we need. God created man from the earth. The land we work is how we once got food, it is where we got our crops. This land holds the ingredients to sustain life. The trees provide oxygen, just as God intended. Our food comes from the earth. The waters hold fish that we can eat. The animals that walk the land is meant to be our food. I know the new thing and healthy choice right now is to be vegan and live a plant-based life, but if we do not take care of our planet even that will be impossible. Earth is our source of sustaining life while we are still here. It cannot do that if we suck it of all the life it has left.

There is so much we can do to eliminate the problems with our earth. The earth needs a little bit of love, now we may not be able to correct every problem with the planet but we can do our part to make sure that we keep it healthy. Things are not the same as they were back in the days of the bible but we can definitely take examples from how they lived and incorporate them in our lives today. We can do our parts to recycle, use natural products, reserve energy, making sure our water is not contaminated. There are so many countries, and states living with contaminated water. There are so many landfills fills with things that could be recycled. Our oceans are filled with trash and plastic, gallons and gallons of oil has been spilled in our waters contaminating the waters. Our animals are sick with diseases from farmers who only want to make a profit, therefore making the people sick. This is not what God intended for His people, for the earth He created. Over time things have become more about making a profit as opposed to actually sustaining and taking care of the planet, and that’s what’s destroying it. As the times change we must remember that God gave us dominion over the earth, and it is our job to take care of it. He trusted us with His masterpiece we shall not let it be destroyed.

All this to say, part of our lives as a Christ follower is to take care of what God has given us. To be responsible for the gifts He has blessed us with. Many times these gifts are more physical than we think. With that being said, the earth is a gift God has given us.

Reflection

1. Do you believe that we as Christ followers are responsible for taking care of the planet?
2. What is something you can do to make sure that you are doing your part to take care of the earth?

Prayer Time

Take the time to pray for our planet. Pray for all the disasters that have taken place around the world. Pray that we as a people will band together and take care of the planet God created and blessed us with. Take the time to pray for those in Libya as slave trade is still happening and for those in California who are affected by these fires.

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening! Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 340!

Day 174: One Heart, One Soul, One Love- Day 4

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth

Genesis 2:15

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Genesis 1:28

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Today I want to talk about the environment and how we treat it, and how we are supposed to take care of the earth, God created for us. As Christians we should definitely care about the earth and take care of it. I believe from the beginning of time God has given us a responsibility to take care of what He has given us. It is our job to take care of our home and keep it healthy. From recycling, to keeping our streets clean. Using less energy or electricity or using solar power, planting more trees and gardens. Whatever it may be, just making sure we aren’t causing harm to the planet. It’s such a beautiful place, I mean God created it. Nature is so beautiful, let’s not take it for granted.

I talk about this because one of the things plaguing the world right now is climate change. Droughts and storms are happening all over the place. Glaciers are melting, animals are dying and close to extinction. If we want to live healthy lives we must do our part to make sure our planet is healthy. I truly believe that we should treat our home as a gift. God gave us something beautiful and gave us dominion over it. This our home for the time being and it’s the home of our children and their children and so forth. So let’s do what we can to protect the earth. Let’s do all we can to keep it healthy and safe.

Reflection/Prayer Time

Take the time to think about what you can do to be a part of taking care of the planet, and then do it. Nothing is too small. Pray for the environment, pray for the world, pray for climate change, pray for the animals. Take the time to thank God for this beautiful earth. Enjoy this earth, and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Day 122: From Adam to Jesus

1 Corinthians 15:45

Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

Colossians 1:15

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Philippians 2:8

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

There are many comparisons between Adam and Jesus in the theology world, but also biblically as Paul calls Jesus the last Adam in 1 Corinthians. Today we are going to explore these ideas, and get an understanding of what Paul meant when He called Jesus the last Adam.

It is largely understood that Jesus came to do what Adam could not, He came to fix the very things that had been severed and broken as a result of the fall. Jesus was the answer to a broken world that could only be fixed or saved through his sacrifice. From the moment Adam ate the forbidden fruit humanity was separated from God, and Jesus was the only one who could unite us once again.

Adam was created in the image of God, he was created a perfect man initially, completely good. When Adam was created there was no sin in the world, sin entered the world through him. Romans 5:12 states Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—We are the descendants of Adam therefore we inherited his sin. Jesus was also perfect, he was the very image of God. Jesus being conceived by the holy spirit was not born a sinner but born into a sinful world and was completely human, Jesus walked on this earth as a perfect man, never sinning or falling into sin. Both men were given a choice, Adam with the tree (Genesis 2:16-17) and Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1). Adam chose to eat the fruit which would result in the fall of humanity. Jesus would stand against the temptations of satan, and save humanity by giving his life up on the cross. The difference between the two men is that one came to fix the mistakes or even pay for the mistakes of the other. Adam was disobedient to God and chose death when he and Eve chose to eat the forbidden fruit, it was through these actions that sin sin entered the world. It was through Jesus that sin was defeated in the world. The scripture says that Jesus was obedient to the point of death, if saving this world meant dying the most humiliating and painful death known to man, then Jesus was willing to do it and He did. He was completely selfless in doing so.  

1 Peter 2:24

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Certain translations refer to the cross as a tree  seeing that cross was made out of wood. Ironically it goes to show that a man eating fruit from a tree is caused the fall of humanity. But years later, the promised Messiah would hang from a tree saving humanity from the result of the fall.

Adam is a representation of humanity as the Hebrew meaning of the name Adam is, man or mankind. The name Adam is also a masculine term for the word Adamah, meaning earth. We are Adam, we are the sinners who have chosen to live a life of sin, and we were and are in desperate need of a Savior. From the moment we were disconnected from GOd, He has been in constant pursuit of our heart in order to have relationship with us.

Colossians 1:14

For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

“We are all connected with the first Adam (the natural and legal head of the human race) as depraved and guilty sinners, and so are included in the sentence of death which God pronounced on him. However, all who are connected with the last Adam, Jesus, through repentance and faith in His redeeming work, are forgiven, have ‘received the free gift of righteousness’, and so ‘have passed from death to life’.”

Jesus came to save and fix this broken world, it is through His sacrifice that we are able to have a relationship with God and live a holy and righteous life, which is what God intended from the very beginning. Jesus did what Adam could not do by carrying the sin of every man on His shoulders and taking it to the grave, and being raised from the dead three days later. By doing so he defeated the power of sin and death, so we no longer have to live in sin. We are no longer connected to the sin of Adam. We have been redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus, who has taken away the impurities from humanity.

Reflection

Today was a bit theologically heavy, but what is your response? Do you see the parallels between Adam and Jesus and their choices directly affected humanity?

Prayer Time

As a response to today’s reading talk to God about what stood out to you. Thank God that He did not let us die in our sin, but He sent Jesus in order that we may have relationship with Him.

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening. Make sure you share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 123!