Daily Devotion

Scott Puthoff

The devotion for today is written by Scott Puthoff

Genesis 1: 26 – Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

The formation of the universe is the first event in the Bible.  It comes before Moses, the prophets, Jesus, and the Church of today.  And once humans are created, we are blessed and ordered to care for this gift.  Of course, we messed that up and here we are.

Creation is the most fundamental aspect of my faith.  As I’ve moved from the hunting and fishing of my youth to whitewater kayaking and trail running as an adult, I’ve spent much of my free time outdoors in some way.  I’ve found the most accessible areas tend to be our local, state, and national parks.   Whether around the corner at French Park, in the Badlands of North Dakota, or the ancient mountains of North Carolina, taking the time to hike and explore these areas connects me to Creation and what it fundamentally means to be human.

Spending this time outside also reminds me that we have woefully underachieved on our first calling as stewards of this Earth.  Even in pristine environments, garbage is littered around.  People cannot help themselves to walk off the trail in the dangerous and protected geothermal areas of Yellowstone or the fragile tundra environments of the Rocky Mountains.  Our desire to not get our feet muddy leads to spur trails and increased erosion at our local parks.  While I enjoy whitewater kayaking on O’Bannon Creek, I understand that many of the days that I can float that river are only because humanity has paved over much of this earth and the water is forced unnaturally into the creek, also creating increased erosion.  

When many people look at the state of Creation, the outlook is all doom and gloom.  Yes, there is bad news when it comes to the environment, but that’s not the whole story.  We can change.  We need people to value these natural areas.  We need people to spend time in these parks.  We need people to connect with God’s Creation and our fundamental job as humans:  to utilize and protect this gift in service of all humanity.  If we value Creation, we will protect it.