As I look through the dictionary, I am amazed by how many entries are animals and plants. Some of the ones I've run across tonight are:
bandicoot - large rat from southern Asia
capybara - South and Central American rodent
Devon rex - large-eared cat with a short wavy or curly coat
fossa - carnivorous mammal found in Madagascar
tamandua - kind of anteater
tamarin - type of monkey
aster - herb
baneberry - herb of the buttercup family with poisonous berries
breadfruit - fruit that resembles bread in color and texture when baked
devil's claw - herb found in U.S. and Mexico that has pods which can be used to make baskets
episcia - tropical American herb related to the African violet
tamarack - larch found in America
tamarillo - South American fruit or the shrub that grows the fruit
tamarind - tropical tree of the legume family
God's Word (NIV):
Genesis 1:20-25:
And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it,according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Matthew 6:25-34:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
My Thoughts:
As I notice the wide variety of creatures and plants that God created, I am amazed by the vastness of his imagination. Animals and plants exist throughout the entire earth—on land, in the ocean, and in the air. Though God took great care to make the animals, he took even more care when he created mankind. He made man and said, "It is very good." He gave man the directives of naming the animals and ruling over them.
We see, though, in Matthew 6 that God still takes care of his creatures. He feeds the birds, and he clothes the grass of the field. He pours beauty upon His creation. However, man still holds a special place in His heart. He encourages us not to worry about anything we need because He loves us—his very good creation. We are to seek Him first. When we are faced with a situation that causes us to worry, we should go to Him first. He will give us His strength and His peace.
It is difficult to not worry. Trust me, I know. When we can't fix our situation and when we can't see the other end, we worry about how it will turn out, but that takes our focus off of God. Do we doubt that He knows what is going on? Do we doubt that He really does have what is best for us in mind? When we focus on Him, we begin to understand that He is always with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us.
If he allows the flowers to be beautiful, if he allows the animals to find food and survive, won't he take care of you no matter what you are going through? You are the one He created to have relationship with. You are the one He died to save.
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