God Loves All Creatures Great & Small

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God Loves All Creatures Great & Small

by Cheryl L. Dunson

On the fifth and sixth days, God created living creatures to fill the water, the skies and the earth. God saw that it was good, and He blessed them.

When God created man in His own image, His first mandate to man was to have dominion over the creatures God created. The Lord delegated responsibility of His creation and everything in it to us, and He entrusted us to be good stewards (Gen. 1:26).

In other words, animals matter to God!

August 26th is set aside as National Dog Day to recognize dogs in need of rescue, and to acknowledge those dogs that work selflessly each day to save lives, keep us safe, and bring comfort. But let’s expand upon the recognition of canines and appreciate the importance of all animals in God’s kingdom.

In Genesis 1 & 2, we see animals bring joy to God. He declared them “good!” In Psalm 104, God demonstrates His care for the animals, beginning with giving water to all beasts of the field, wild donkeys and birds of the air (11 & 12). The Lord makes grass to grow for the cattle (14), and prepares homes for the birds in the cedars and pine trees (16 & 17). God made the high mountains for the wild goats and rabbits. He made the forests for the lions to seek their prey and then to lay down in their dens (20 & 21). He spilled teeming creatures beyond number into the sea (25), and all of God’s living things look to Him for their food at the proper time (27).

By giving man kingship of His creation and everything in it, the Lord commands us to secure the welfare of its subjects: “The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel” (Psalm 12:10).

Billy Graham once wrote, “We must never treat any part of God’s creation with contempt. When we do, we are indirectly treating our Creator with contempt. Instead, God calls us to be stewards or trustees of His creation and the Bible reminds us that we are responsible to Him for the way we treat it…The Bible commands us to take care of the animals under our care…. Even the animal of an enemy was to be treated kindly…” (Ex. 23:12).

Naturally, some of us are more receptive to animals in our lives than others. Some of us choose to invite warm and furry creatures into our home, while others prefer to keep them at the barn or in the pasture. Still, some favor

keeping their living spaces free of animals altogether. God certainly recognizes and appreciates our preferences. But, in deference to God’s awesome creation, let us be kind to all living things and commit to never abuse, neglect or mistreat any of God’s wonderful creatures.