“On the sixth day God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind’, and it was so. God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind…’” (Genesis 1:24-25).
Shortly after God created Adam, he gave him a job, we read of it in Genesis 2:18-20, “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. Adam gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field.”
King Solomon wrote much about the wonders of the flora and fauna that God created, “He spoke 3,000 proverbs, and wrote 1,005 songs. He spoke of trees, he spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and fish” (I Kings 4:32-34).
I love animals, especially the wild ones. As a child I had a most interesting array of pets, among them were Coyotes, Bobcats, Ravens, Magpies, Owls, Hawks, and Pigeons. Truth be known, it was my father who brought all of these baby animals home from the fields on our farm, but his love for critters grew in my heart as well.
Since living in the mountains of Northern California, I have had some wonderful encounters with the “beasts of the field.’ A few days ago I shared my path on my morning walk with the most beautiful Black Bear that I have ever seen. We eyed each other for a few moments and then individually went our ways. And here, again, I have shared space with Coyotes and Bobcats and Beavers, etc.
Sandy and I buy and scatter a lot of bird seed, because we enjoy the numbers of birds and squirrels and chipmunks that show up at feeding time. I shared a special bond with a Mantled Squirrel this evening. As I sat at the edge of my driveway, I tossed a few peanuts to this little guy. Before long, he was sitting beside me, taking the peanuts from my hand.
And during my encounter with the squirrel, wonder and awe once again filled my heart to overflowing and I began to worship. I was overcome by the intricacy and symmetry of God’s created order, and then words from an old song sprang into my mind, “What a mind it must have taken to think a bird into existence.” Everything, every plant and every animal that entered into the mind of God, He then created them; and when He beheld His creation He said, “It is very good!” (Genesis 1:31)
And when I am tempted to doubt God and His existence, I return to nature, to the handiwork of God that surrounds my mountain home, from the smallest wildflower to the towering pines, the lakes, the rivers, the mountains; and on a clear night, I gaze into the heavens that declare the Glory of God. And again, I am moved to worship the one who spoke it all into existence.
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