All Creatures Great and Small

God’s love and tenderness is for all of His creation and importantly we can see a new dimension to God’s love through His wider creation and especially through animals

Source: SlidePlayer

This is a question that you may have never really thought about in church, Christians don't talk about it, and it’s very rarely preached about; ‘What does God think about animals?’ In Luke 12:6 Jesus says; ‘Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God’. God created all things including animals and the aim of this blog is to open our eyes to see animals in a new light and to see how much God loves them. 

God looks ahead and He created animals because He knew that animals would appreciate the Earth more than people would. God knew that people would pollute the Earth, using the sea as a dustbin, and as we know, too much plastic in the ocean is killing the sea life. Man continues to destroy the Brazilian Rain Forest, effecting the survival of the indigenous people and the wild-life who live there. Large numbers of elephants are shot every day for their ivory tusks, all for man’s selfish gain. These are a few examples where God foreknew that animals would appreciate the Earth more than man. Think about that for a moment?  

Birds - Look how peaceful the birds are when they are flying, think how the eagle glides so gracefully, they love the air God has given them, they appreciate the air.

Dolphins - Watch the dolphins and whales as they play in the sea, they love the water God has provided for them, they appreciate the water.

Monkeys -  Watch the monkeys as they climb the tree so proudly and swing on the branches. They love the trees that God has provided for them, the monkeys appreciate the trees.

Lions -  See how the lions rest on the grass and roam in the Jungle, they love the jungle God has provided for them, they appreciate the Jungle.

Above are just a few examples of how animals appreciate what God has provided for them. Next time you watch nature around you or on the television, look with an open eye and see how they appreciate the earth that God has given them.

Let’s look at what the Bible says about animals; Most people know the story of the great flood and Noah’s Ark in the book of Genesis:6-9, where God told Noah that He was going to destroy the earth because of the wickedness and disobedience of the people of that time. He also told Noah that He was going to save the animals and bring them into the Ark along with Noah and his family. God already knew that the animals would appreciate the earth more than people. I can imagine God looking at the animals and thinking ‘I can’t destroy the animals they were not the problem, but man is’.

Throughout the Bible there are numerous examples where God gave animals assignments:

Elijah fed by the Ravens – 1 Kings 17:4-6 ‘You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there. So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook’

Jonah and the Whale – Jonah 1:17 ‘Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights’ and Jonah 2:10 ‘And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land’

Daniel in the Lion’s Den – Daniel 6:22 ‘My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions’

God also created animals for us to love and learn from:

Proverbs 6:6-8 ‘Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest

Job 12:7-8 ‘But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you’

Jesus Himself advises us to watch how the birds live; Matthew 6:26 ‘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’.

Prince as a puppy - Source: Own

Animals have always been a great comfort and help to people particularly those who are lonely after bereavement. Having a pet to look after can bring much comfort as well as helping to heal a broken heart. People who are blind or partially sighted can be been given a new lease of life by specially trained guide dogs who help and enhance their lives greatly. Several years ago, a puppy named Prince came into the lives of a family in our fellowship. I have met Prince on many occasions and I must say He is probably the most loving dog I have ever met. God has used Prince to help one of the owners overcome her fear of dogs which came about after being attacked by a dog when she was young. She once told me that it is difficult to put into words how God has blessed her life through Prince and also that the unconditional love that Prince shows to everyone who comes to their home just blows everyone away.

Throughout the Bible we read many instances where God surrounds people with animals; when Adam was created, God surrounded him with animals, when Noah was protected from the flood God made a covenant with Noah who was surrounded by animals. Abraham was led to the promised land accompanied by animals. Moses and the children of Israel were led through the Red Sea accompanied by animals. When our Lord Jesus Christ was born, He was surrounded by animals in a stable, He rode a donkey for His triumphant entrance into Jerusalem (Luke 19:28-40) and when Jesus returns to establish the new Heaven and new Earth we have every expectation that He will again be surrounded by animals.

End time prophecies also involve animals:

Revelation 6 refers to four horses appearing as the first four seals are broken. The horses represent God’s judgment of the people's sin and rebellion.

Source: PInterest

Isaiah 11:6-9 ‘The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea’

God also instructs us to be kind to animals; Proverbs 12:10 ‘The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel’ and Proverbs 27:23 ‘Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds’.

In conclusion, humans are uniquely special in comparison to all of God’s Creation however this does not mean that the rest of creation has no value to God and one day we will have to answer to God for any unkindness we may have committed against animals. God’s love and tenderness is for all of His creation and importantly we can see a new dimension to God’s love through His wider creation and especially through animals.

Author: Eileen Greaves

May God bless and enrich your life

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