Divine Authority
God has given to us an incredibly beautiful world and frankly, we have made an utter mess of it. Thankfully, there are people who are dedicated to finding solutions to some of our environmental issues. Now, as Christians, we know one day the world as we know it will pass away but that does not mean that we should not act responsibly in the meantime and care for this world that God has created.
Some of those people who are finding solutions are associated with a new organization called the Savannah Ocean Exchange. Founded in 2010, “The Savannah Ocean Exchange unites worldwide organizations across multiple disciplines and boundaries to accelerate the distribution and adoption of solutions that positively impact our ocean and coast.”
I was recently asked to be part of a jury with the Savannah Ocean Exchange. Each year individuals and organizations from all over the world submit applications detailing their innovative ideas and solutions to our global issues. Selected proposals are chosen and these ideas are unveiled at a two-day conference in Savannah, Ga. The recipient of the best solution is presented with the Gulfstream Navigator Award, totaling $100,000.
My prayer is that God would use this group of people collectively to bring a sensitivity back to the world that He created so that years from now, should the Lord tarry, we will still have a beautiful place in which to live. We at Rivers of the World (ROW) serve along many remote rivers of this world, but we realize that these rivers eventually empty into our oceans.
After the earth was created and man and woman were formed in the image of God, we read in Genesis 1:28 (Amplified):
“And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth.”
Mankind was given divine authority over everything created by God. To have dominion over every living creature means we are to rule with authority, but, we are to do so in a responsible manner. God expects His children to care for all His creation, including the oceans, forests, animals and we are to even care for one another.
