The Bible encourages respect, care, and compassion toward animals and the earth. Treating plants and animals well is seen as righteous, wise, and in line with God’s original intent for humanity as stewards of creation. While it doesn’t always specify earthly rewards, it clearly aligns such behavior with godly character. Today we’ll discuss the relevant scripture and hopefully stir something in your being to have a strong desire to share with people in your world.

I’ve always believed since I was a young man you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat animals. We see evidence in very young children and even infants displaying immense joy from being around God’s creations. I distinctly remember every pet our family ever had, and I always felt terrible about them being kept in a kennel where their freedom was limited. Whenever one of those pets was suffering or not doing well, it affected our entire family, because they were part of our family. Part of God’s family.

The Earth and all its creatures belong to God. His covenant includes animals, and compassion toward them is a prerequisite in Scripture. There are laws and proverbs in the Bible that show God’s concern for animals and commend kindness:

Proverbs 12:10 – “The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.” This verse directly praises those who treat animals with compassion and calls it a mark of righteousness.

Deuteronomy 25:4 – “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” A law ensuring animals are treated fairly even while they work.

Exodus 23:12 – “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest…” Even animals are to enjoy rest, showing that God values their well-being.

Psalm 24:1 – “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” This reminds us that humans are caretakers, not owners.

Psalm 104 – This psalm celebrates how God provides for animals, plants, and all living things.

Genesis 9:9–10 – “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you…” After the flood, God’s covenant includes not just humans, but “every living creature.”

Genesis 1:22 – “God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” Animals have had God’s Blessing since the moment of creation.

I am in awe of every individual instance of God’s created life forms. Every insect, every worm, all living things are once in eternity creations. Each and every one unique and different. This fact always gets my reverent attention and respect. I’m one of those crazy people who’ll spend hours tracking down a bug in my home only to release it outdoors.

But there is more to this story. All of us, including soil, plants, and animals are under the curse of the earth that resulted from The Fall in Genesis 3, and now the entire creation groans in anticipation of the return of a peaceful earth.

The Apostle Paul follows up on this in Romans and confirms the innate groaning which is the hope we have for what we know is going to happen. The entire earthly ecosphere and its inhabitants are part of this process:

Romans 8:18-23 – “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.”

Fortunately for us humans, God has Blessed us with a coping mechanism so that we’re unable to let go of or lose this hope. Paul writes in 2 Timothy about the resolve of the human spirit:

2 Timothy 1:7 – “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

But this does not mean we are perfect of course. We are still flawed people swimming upstream toward our prize and sometimes we need help. Enter The Holy Spirit, your helper. There are times when we even struggle about what we should pray for, or if we can even pray at all, and the Holy Spirit groans for us:

Romans 8:26-27–  “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

Meanwhile the entire creation continues to groan as in the pains of childbirth. Perhaps our compassion for animals is somewhat rooted, albeit unknowingly, in this perfect plan God has so wonderfully scripted out, It tells a magnificent story about our journey, including animals, that is worthy of sharing, and that is my prayer for you the reader and those of you who treat animals with heartfelt empathy and compassion.

We all have family, friends, neighbors, and loved ones who have animals in their lives and have an interest in the well-being of nature. These are the people we can stimulate to share this message.

Have a Blessed day everyone..