BeFruitful

Read Genesis 1-3
 
Genesis 1:21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”….27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
 
HERE is God’s first command, “Be fruitful and multiply.” One can think it is only a command God gives to mankind. But see how he commanded this in verse 22 to the entire creation! To the trees, animals, fish and birds he gave the order to reproduce and fill the earth. God’s will is to create life and have it reproduce new life. Life reflects God’s creative genius and his power to make it happen. His purpose is always to give to each aspect of his creation the ability to increase and multiply, so his creation is abundant to glorify his name. Keep this in mind as you read through the Bible. God will repeatedly show himself as an abundant life-giver.
   This power, too, is to be a constant presence in the human soul. “Be fruitful. Multiply. Fill the earth. Govern it.” define a specific order to life. We must know we are one part of God’s creation, just as the plants, animals, birds and stars. And we must understand God has elevated us above the other forms of his creation to rule in his image. Imagine God’s grace allowing us to rule his earth! We are God’s ambassadors to use his bounty to our benefit while caring for the earth with God’s good – his holy – character.
   The reason we toil and labor, seeming to battle to overcome nature is the sin of Genesis 3. Sin has broken our relationship with God and his creation. One aspect, then, of the Christian life is to demonstrate God’s love for all of his creation. Loving God, we are to be good ambassadors, honoring and ruling the earth as he would.   
   Let’s be fruitful and multiply God’s name to the world also with his spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23a) Let’s be fruitful in our use of resources to govern the earth’s environment in God’s grace.