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Provision

Words of Faith Final

Provision
Words of Faith 1-7-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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     Genesis 1
     [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. [28] God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
    [29] Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. [30] And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything that has the breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food." And it was so.
   [31] God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day.

         God created the humans, but not until He had created a vast provision for them. There was a reason for this order. Humanity was the pinnacle of the process. The created order was provided for the humans. We might argue that the humans were also provided to care for the creation. Still, we must be careful not to elevate the provision to a place of worship. The creation was the delight of the Lord and the delight of man, but it is not to be worshipped. The creation, which has no eternal destiny, must never be put above the humans who are in the image of God and possess a spiritual nature.
         God commissioned the humans with several strong words. The humans were trusted to be fruitful, increase, fill, subdue and rule. None of those words sound very politically correct these days. In fact, they are "fightin' words" in many circles. What do they mean? In Hebrew, to "be fruitful" means to bear or procreate. To "multiply" means to bring in abundance. To "fill" the earth means to accomplish or fulfill. To "subdue" means literally to conquer or bring under control. To "rule" means to tread down or tame.
          This is the commission. We do not have the prerogative to say this is bad. We do not have the option of saying that creation is equal to humanity. We do not have the option of creating "rights" for the creation, which supersede the humans' needs (not wants).
          Now hold on!  If you are ready to hit "delete," wait just one more paragraph. Some of these words sound harsh, but we must realize this was all before the fall. None of these words reflect the fallen, selfish nature of "conquest" that we think of today. This was before the fall. The duty and commission of the humans were to participate in completing the plan and design of God, to fill and fulfill the earth. It could well be argued that any "treading down" or "conquest" that goes beyond our genuine needs is not in the plan and provision of God, but the commission is still to tread down and subdue.
          The point here is not to endorse the sinful abuses of man that came later but rather to recognize and rejoice in the wondrous provision of God. The provision of the Lord is magnificent. The Lord provided for man everything that is needed. Frankly, the problems in the world are not with the provision; they are with economics and the problems of human sin. Ecological abuses also result from human sin.
          The Lord even provided things terribly necessary to humans--  a challenge, a future, and a hope. These are as essential to human existence as food and water. The commission of the Lord calls humans to participate. There is work to do. That work is not a burden (yet). It is a gift. The Lord provided creatures and plants for food and wise use. These are entrusted to the humans and provided for them.           
            This is a perfect place to pause and give thanks for the magnificent plan of God. He has created everything that we need. He has provided the materials and the creative challenges of life that provide joy and accomplishment. Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.

             Lord, I give thanks for the world around me. I give thanks for the provision You have made. I give thanks for every good thing, which I know comes from Your hands. I give thanks for the challenges I encounter and the joy of accomplishing them. I give thanks for the precious gifts of family and friends. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.