God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Genesis 1:28
God entrusted the earth to the care of mankind. Earth is the divinely appointed place for mankind where man lives under God’s rule and care and enjoys God’s abundant blessings. God told man and woman to rule over the earth and subdue it. (Genesis 1:28) As God’s servants, we are called to share in His kingly rule as stewards of His creation. God’s confidence in us, His beloved creation, inspires me to seek God’s wisdom, power, and courage to step up to my responsibility to care for the earth and its creatures.
God has entrusted us with the message of the kingdom to be spoken and demonstrated on the earth in our places of work, in our families, our schools. He gave us dominion over the earth and gave us everything we need to do it. But it is our responsibility to carry His message of salvation to a lost world. Salvation is the message of “shalom”: wholeness, well-being, and peace. He has asked us to rule over the earth and subdue it. All of us have a sphere of influence – a place that God has planted us to insure His kingdom will expand and take root.
Adam and Eve were given authority to rule on earth because they were made in God’s image. As God’s representatives on earth, they were called to be stewards of God’s creation. We are also called to preserve the earth, not to exploit, waste, or destroy the resources of the earth. It is time we remember it is our responsibility to seek ways to care for the earth and the creatures of the earth. Consider what you can do to care for the earth; consider how you can extend the message of “shalom” on earth by words and deeds. God is calling us to remember that in the beginning He created the earth and it was good. (Genesis 1)
Heavenly Father,
Forgive me for not heeding Your Word and accepting responsibility for the welfare of the earth and the creatures of the earth. Help me to remember that You have entrusted me with the message of the kingdom to be spoken and demonstrated on the earth.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
