Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good".
This passage of scripture describes for us in detail, the creation of man and the provisions God made for our ongoing sustenance. The Lord did not leave us to forage for food as is sometimes taught be evolutionists, nor did He institute the system of survival of the fittest. For both man and beast God made and continues to make ample provision for our continued existence, and it is His will that we should respond in the positive by thanking Him for his goodness and mercies which fail not. The psalmist David gives us an extensive explanation of how God continues to provide for all of His creatures, with the purpose that we all should acknowledge the beneficent kindness of our Creator. Let's read:
Psalms 104:13 He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. 14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; 16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; 17 Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house. 21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. 22 The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens. 24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. 25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. 27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
And so it is that from the time of our creation even to this present generation, God has continued to work and provide for us in the present tense, and He has also provided a means for our recovery from the thralldom of sin wherewith we became shackled. However there has ever been a tendency to forget about God when things are going smoothly, and to remember Him only when things take a turn for the worse. It is indeed amazing how we automatically call upon His name when faced with imminent danger, while we tend to forget about Him when his bounties are upon us.
After September 11 when the terrorist attacks on New York rocked the entire world, it was observed that all of the churches in America were suddenly full of congregants searching for answers. Many of those who had previously forgotten about church and God, suddenly knew where their home church was and the pews were then filled to capacity with mourners and others reaching out to God. This scenario has actually played out in our history over and over again, and it is a sad commentary on our disposition to neglect our Creator. As a matter of fact the Bible states explicitly that this has been the norm ever since the fall of our first parents, even to our present generation. Let's read:
9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 10 Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.
In our day, inspite of the many signs which point unmistakeably to the coming of Christ, many people, even amongst Christians still forget about God, or only seek Him when it is convenient or necessary to do so. God is not pleased with this kind of relationship with us for it savors of service in exchange for blessings. We should all seek God in good and bad times so that our relationship with Him would not be based on the ever changing situations of life's experiences.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which cautions us against forgetfulness of God, and if we make the necessary efforts to seek His face, He will be found of us. Let's read:
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the Lord.
May this experience be ours as we travel life's journey, for it is the will of God that we serve Him in the present tense. "Good night" and God bless!