Walk Through Christian Theology: A Six-Day Devotional Exploring God’s Grand StoryUzorak

CREATION: GOD’S GIFT OF COMPANIONSHIP

Genesis 1:24, 30; 2:7: Let the land produce living creatures…everything that has the breath of life in it…The Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

I have two big red and white basset hounds named Calhoun and Clementine. Wonderful companions, they bring me love, laughter, and laziness. I look in their eyes and see intelligence and an ability to relate to me. They possess sentience, self-consciousness, awareness. I thank God for creating dogs.

Since the very beginning, God gave companions to humanity. In the creation event, he made wild animals, livestock, and birds, bringing them to the man to name (Gen 2:19–20). Implicit in this naming, the man and animals developed friendships. God formed both man and land animals from the dust of the earth, and the Holy Spirit gave them the breath of life. Scripture emphasizes the sameness of humans and animals, all coming from the dust of the earth and possessing the breath of life. God provided animals as helpers for the man, even though he made the ultimate companion in the woman (vv. 18, 22).

I know that Calhoun and Clementine never lived in the Garden, but their roots existed there, and God created them all the same. God’s desire to provide companionship for humans through land animals and birds highlights the intrinsic value of those creatures, including those in the sea. The importance of animals to God should inform the way we value them and share our planet with them.

APPLICATION: As we increasingly share our living space with God’s creatures, we should take measures to live in harmony with them. How can you appreciate and protect the animals in your corner of the world? For example, can you prevent the taming of wild animals by keeping them from finding food around your home?

PRAYER: Creator of the Universe, we thank you for providing animals as companions and representations of your character. Help us to love, honor, and appreciate them as you do.

Photo by Casper Coomans on Unsplash