God Saw that it Was Good

“And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” – Genesis 1:25

As an outdoorsman, I have long enjoyed knowing that God made the beasts of the earth. In the area of Centerville, Iowa, where I grew up, there were never any deer. In fact, we used to visit my cousins in the little town of Albia, about twenty miles away, and there were no deer there either. It has been more than sixty years since I moved away from Iowa, but I recently read in a hunting magazine that the world record for a non-typical white-tailed deer is from Albia!

When our family left Iowa, we settled in Southern Oregon, which is where I am living today. It is often my pleasure to go walking by the wetlands near our house. The other day, I spotted a herd of about fifty elk; there were no elk here when my family arrived sixty years ago.

These changes in nature may not have a huge impact on my daily life, but seeing such trends is fascinating nonetheless. We all like to see animals such as the deer and elk make a comeback, and I am blessed to witness some of the complexity of God's creation. Nature is full of wonder and enjoyment—so much so that hundreds of magazines and journals have been produced to chronicle its events. This world is a blessing even to those who do not acknowledge that it was all provided by the hand of a loving God in Heaven. It is a testimony to God's goodness that speaks every language everywhere.

Those who believe and understand the Bible know that God is the Creator of all things, and that the earth did not happen by chance. It is my hope that coming generations will also enjoy the thrill of knowing that the deer and elk were fashioned by our wonderful Creator. May we all take time to appreciate the beauty of the earth and its inhabitants for what they are: gifts from God.

Father in Heaven, Thank You for the wonders of creation, which bring such joy to life. Greater yet is the wonderful plan of redemption, made possible through Your Son, for which we are eternally grateful. Amen.