Sometimes I wonder what our predecessors would have thought if our current headlines had made breaking news in their day! They would probably have thought the end was near, yet surprisingly we refuse to see the signs! Just a few years ago, none of us would have expected to hear that in 15 years time, South Africa’s freshwater resources would be totally depleted or polluted to the extent that it would not be fit for consumption. Yet, a few months ago radio news emphasized the looming water crisis that is soon to hit our country.
This year, the Lord is especially impressing upon us the importance of our environment and natural resources and our God-given mandate to be the earth’s custodians. Indeed, if mankind continues to deplete the world’s non-renewal resources as we have been doing, we had better pray that the coming of the Lord be hastened lest we end up destroying ourselves!
Poaching has increased this year with the senseless killing of over 200 rhinos to harvest their horns for sale on the black market. Their bodies lie scattered across the African plains, a sad testament to the cruelty of a human race that has abandoned its God-given purpose to care for God’s creation and elected to serve Mammon instead.
We thought technological advances would make our lives easier. Well, life was never meant to be easy! (Gen 3:19) Anyway, we have only succeeded in making the physical aspect “easier”, but we bear the scars of a populace that faces greater mental and emotional strain than ever before. The human body works much the opposite way to the man-made machines we are so used to. While machines suffer the effects of wear and tear and are broken down by physical use, the human body was designed to be used. In fact, the human body gets stronger through physical exercise! However, our space-age lifestyles have eliminated any desire for such exercise, resulting in myriads of physical ailments. Seems like the cost of technology is outweighing the perceived benefit, doesn’t it? Cost is measured in more than just financial terms, but we seem to have the habit of feigning ignorance until our disobedience hits our pockets! Just a FEW examples to bring the true cost of living to light:
-increase in child and adult obesity and related diseases
-violent crime, abuse against the vulnerable in society
-immorality on the increase resulting in transmission of deadly diseases
-abandonment of children & the orphan crisis
-plundering of natural resources and resultant consequences e.g. acid mine drainage problems in Gauteng
-large scale oil spills
-looming water crises
-global warming, climate change & war
We cannot leave it to politicians and environmentalists to fix the problem and just throw money at it, hoping that it will disappear. We need to change our mind-set for the time is coming when God will judge and destroy those who destroy the earth. (Rev 11:18). The Bible says that Jesus would make His grand entrance upon the scene of Earth's destruction in time to save His elect; if He doesn't, there would no one left alive on the Earth. He has promised to cut short the days of tribulation to save all those who trust in Him. Until then, be the custodian of the Earth that the Lord intended you to be.
Scripture refs: Gen chapters 1 to 3, Rev 11
Rev 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
