The majesty of God’s design of creation is beautifully described in Psalm 104. From stretching out heaven like a tent curtain, to establishing the earth upon its foundations, every part of his awe inspiring creative blueprint is outlined, drawing forth our praise.
O Lord, how many are Thy works! In wisdom Thou hast made them all, The earth is full of Thy possessions, (vs.24, NASB).
All of creation is a gift from our Father. How we steward and care for it reflects how we think and feel about him. Recently, I have been a part of a workshop that taught us the fundamentals of restoring the land back to a place of Kingdom life and design. This is part of the original mandate given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
And God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them; and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth,” (Genesis 1:27-28, NASB).
The workshop was led by Megan Caldecourt, from Beyond the Horizon ministry. Megan travels around the world to help others learn how to bring the land back to Kingdom design. Although the workshop was filled with excellent instruction and hands-on experience, there were a couple of pieces that I wanted to share with you from what I learned. As we live Kingdom life on earth, there are roles that we may alternate operating from.
The first is the role of the bride. As a bride, we are in the place of receiving intimacy from God. There are so many beautiful pictures in scripture that reveal the intimacy between a bride and her bridegroom such as in the book of Song of Songs. God has designed breathtaking landscapes and whimsical creatures to delight us and draw us close to his heart. Certainly he could have created a very practical world, in which we could survive, but instead he placed us in a world that would bring us pleasure and adventure.
The second role is one of a son. The focus of the son is one of giving and building. As mature sons, we want to partner with our Heavenly Father, to steward wisely the creation he has entrusted to us. When man fell into sickness and death in the garden, we took all of creation with us. That is why it says in Romans 8:19,
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God (ESV).
Our lives are intricately connected to all of creation by design. If we are going to be healthy and full of life, we must also maintain and extend Kingdom life in all of creation. Creation depends on us and we depend on it.
Steps in Pursuit
- Examine the land around the place you live. What condition do you find the land, plants and animals? Prayerfully consider steps that you can take to build beauty and life around your home.
- Spend some time worshipping God for his creation.
- Identify which part of creation that you feel more drawn to: plants, animals, the land itself.
As we work together to restore creation to God’s original design and extend his Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, we will experience the joy and delight of God’s heart.
Continue the Pursuit,
Denise
