What an amazing gift is this! Psalm 115 reflects Genesis 1: 28-31 in which God reviews his Creation, finds it supremely good, and gives it to humanity, whom he had created in his divine image.

As with many other gifts, this one comes with a huge responsibility – to care for the Earth as God cares for us. What would God say to us today if we were having our work review on how we care for earth, including its human population?

I don’t think we would be getting an excellent review. Do you?

As far as “every kind of wildlife,” (Genesis 1:24), many species are now extinct or endangered, and we continue to encroach upon and eventually destroy their habitats. Not a high grade there.

Then there are “all the plants on earth, all the trees that yield fruit. . .all the green grasses for food.” (Verse 29) In some parts of the world, some people are doing okay with nutritious foods and plenty to eat, but in many other places there is famine, hunger, and death resulting from malnutrition. I can’t imagine that God meant for this to happen. I believe He intended for human beings to share the fruits of the earth so that all could flourish. Our use of all the fruits of the Earth is likely an F.

And then there is Earth itself, so altered by the “progress” of man. God did not create air pollution that sickens those who are forced to breathe in it. He did not create water pollution that poisons the waters of lakes, rivers, and oceans and kills all living things in those waters. He didn’t cut down great swaths of forests resulting in erosion and loss of fertile soil. We did that all on our own, and once again, I don’t think God approves. Some humans are working to clean things up and reverse the damage, but I don’t think our grade is yet higher than a D minus.

Overall, humanity has done a very poor job of managing the magnificent creation of God. I think where we get off the rails is in the phrase in verse 26 where God says “Let us make humanity in our image, his divine image, to resemble us.” Clearly the divine part has gotten overlooked along the way. God’s divine image includes the capacity for moral and spiritual development and embodies, love, justice, wisdom, and compassion. Oops! There certainly seems to be a lack of those qualities in many situations in our world today.

Yet, once again, all is not lost. There is hope for humanity and for the future of His creation if we once again strive for love, justice, wisdom, and compassion. Through the Holy Spirit, we can be transformed into the creation that God intended us to be and do as God would have us do. Our final grade does not have to be an F.

Heavenly Father,

Forgive us for our lack of care for all of creation, our fellow human beings as well as the bounty of Earth. Guide us and strengthen us as we work to correct our mistakes and live as you would have us live. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Pat Scruggs.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are...