Creation Around Us

The created world offers windows into God’s wisdom and character, encouraging careful observation and grateful reflection on the One who made it.

By Annabelle Guscott

Read Time: 6 minutes

Annabelle Guscott is an environmental scientist, with a special interest in marine ecology. She also enjoys traveling the world and seeing the diversity in the world our God has created. This diversity powerfully encourages her faith.

Jason Hensley

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1.

This is the very first thing we read in the incredible book of the Bible. It must be important, but what does it mean? What is creation? And why does it matter to us? Throughout this article, we will explore this physical creation, what it means, and why it is important to us.

A Purposeful Creation

Let’s head back to Genesis 1. This chapter emphasizes creation: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (v. 1 ESV), “God said, ‘Let there be light’” (v. 4 ESV), “Let water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear” (v. 9 NIV), “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit” (v. 11 ESV), and so on. And He saw that it was good.

Through these passages, you can see the earth as we know it form and take shape, and this is shown to be purposeful. God showed intentionality in creation, as He created life on earth to be self-sustaining and orderly, including vegetation that yields seed and trees that bear fruit, and blessed the creatures of the seas and sky, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1:22 ESV). He created the livestock and creatures of the land according to their kind, and even created a hierarchy, whereby man is to have dominion over all the creatures and to also “Be fruitful and multiply.” For it is written, “And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.”’ (Genesis 1:29-30 ESV). This self-sustaining creation is so purposefully created, and we see this throughout life today.

Let’s take a look at a few creatures, such as the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). How would this shark have been purposefully created by God? Great white sharks help regulate populations, maintain marine biodiversity and genetic diversity, protect habitats such as seagrass beds and kelp forests, and act as indicator species for the health of the marine environment.¹ Another creature we can look at is the Lord Howe Island stick insect (Dryococelus australis), which is an insect endemic to a remote corner of an island off Australia’s east coast. This insect plays a crucial role in its ecosystem as a major driver of nutrient cycling, which in turn helps maintain fertile soil and directly impacts forest health.² Through these examples, we can see these species have been created purposefully to serve a function in their ecosystem, to help sustain creation, which showcases God’s design.

Showcasing God’s Glory

Throughout the Bible, creation is also used as a means to convey a message, such as showcasing God’s Glory. Creation is something tangible, something we can see, touch, feel, smell, and taste. Therefore, it can be relatable, and we can learn some pretty amazing lessons from it. Consider the following verses:

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. (Psalm 19:1 ESV).

O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all, the earth is full of your creatures. (Psalm 104:24-25 ESV).

In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. (Psalm 95:4-5 NIV).

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out their starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. (Isaiah 40:26 NIV).

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well. (Psalm 139:14 NIV).

These are just a few of the verses that speak about God’s creation, and it is evident that this creation showcases God’s glory. Romans 1:20 (NIV) states, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without an excuse.” This verse further shows how creation reveals God’s glory and existence, while demonstrating the intentionality and purposefulness of His design. Everything God has created gives glory to Him and shows His incredible design, demonstrated through generations upon generations.

Jesus and Creation

Jesus also used nature within his teachings and used it as a metaphor to teach his lessons, such as the parable of the mustard seed (Luke 13:18-19), the parable of the sower and the seed (Matthew 13:3-9), and the parable of the vine and branches (John 15:1-6), just to name a few. In Matthew 6:28-30, Jesus used the example of lilies of the field to illustrate that God cares for us and will certainly care for believers. Jesus also spent time teaching and praying in nature, including the Sermon on the Mount, the wilderness, and the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus shows us how we can seek God in nature and look to His creation to learn gospel messages.

In His Image

If we head back to Genesis, we read in Genesis 1:26 (NIV), “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.”’ Out of all of creation—the sun, the moon, the stars, the oceans, the mountains—we humans are made in His image. That is pretty special. Being made in His image, we need to bring glory to God in all that we do, both in how we live our lives and in how we interact with the natural world. We need to work together and use our unique gifts and talents to help us form a healthy, harmonious, sustainable ecosystem. 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV) states, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms,” and Romans 12:6-8 (NIV) reads,

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

These verses show how God has given everyone a unique skill set, and this is purposeful. These different abilities can be used to serve others and build a healthy ecosystem on our planet and in our community, while also bringing glory to Him. We are also tasked with being stewards of the land, just as Adam and Eve are tasked with working and caring for the Garden of Eden. As it says in Psalm 24:1 (NIV), “The Earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it.” We need to respect this and ensure we care for God’s amazing creation, which we are fortunate enough to experience every day, because all of God’s creation is made to glorify God.

What Does This Mean for Us?

Through this article, we have looked into what creation is and how it is described in the Bible, but what does this mean for us? Firstly, it means we should worship God. “The mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55:12 NIV). When we spend time out in nature, watching a sunrise or a sunset, or even walking around a park, make sure to give praise to God, the Creator of all things, rather than just admiring the landscape. If the earth is giving praise, so should we.

Secondly, we need to seek God and look to creation to help teach us the messages of the gospel. Just as Jesus used creation to illustrate Bible teachings, we too should look at creation to better understand gospel teaching and messages.

Finally, we need to make sure we are caring for creation. God created all things and said creation “was good.” Just as one prunes a vine to take care of the plant, we need to take care of all creation: nature, animals, and people. Every act of kindness, whether for the earth or for the people, is an act of worship.

So next time you step outside, make sure you look around. Every tree, every star, everything whispers “God.” Creation isn’t just our home; it’s living proof of God, His power, His creativity, and His love. So let’s open our eyes to see creation not just as our surroundings, but as God’s living masterpiece, one that calls us to worship, to wonder and to care.

Annabelle Guscott,
Canterbury Ecclesia, VIC