God's Blue Marble

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. John 1:3

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:7-10

We celebrated Earth Day yesterday (April 22). In a recent issue of National Geographic, astronauts who have been fortunate enough to be able to view the earth from space tried to put into words what they observed. It seems just about everyone experiences timelessness, and a sense of responsibility toward the planet after viewing it as the blue marble that it appears to be from afar. Another observation is how one never seems to tire of viewing our earth from space.

Most of these astronauts have made it their mission to bring attention to what they saw. For example, Leland Melvin was inspired by the earth’s oceans as viewed from above, the many shades of blue, and focuses his efforts on inspiring people, especially children, to preserve the planet. Samantha Cristoforetti says, "You’ve got this planet beneath you, and a lot of what you see, especially during the day, does not necessarily point to a human presence. If you look at it on a geologic timescale, it’s almost like we are this flimsy presence, and we really have to stick together as a human family to make sure we are a permanent presence on this planet and not just this blink of an eye.”

Two thoughts occurred to me as I prepared this devotion after reading the article: one, our mortality and what God promises for us in eternity, and two, how we should make it our responsibility to care for the planet while we’re living here, for future generations. While God promises us an eternity in heaven, we should also care for this earth that we make our home while we’re here!

Here are scripture passages that address both:

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. Genesis 2:15

The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. Psalm 115:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to do my part in caring for the earth that is our temporary home, that you have created. Show me new ways to care for nature and all living things. Thank you for Your promise of eternal life with You. Amen.

Donna Gustafson