By Andrew Williams March 1, 2022
Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
Genesis 1:28 NLT
Good morning fellow disciples.
God’s Instruction to Adam and Eve was the instruction to all mankind. This verse documents the first instruction that God gave mankind.
BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY.
It was God’s intention for mankind to populate the world with God-fearing persons. This command was given before the entrance of sin into the world. Mankind has indeed been fruitful and has multiplied. However, we have multiplied countless numbers of sinful persons.
With Jesus’ entrance into history and God pouring out His Holy Spirit upon all flesh who will receive Him, we now have a chance to be fruitful and multiply persons who are after God’s own heart.
Jesus showed us how to make disciples who serve God. It is our duty to be his disciples and to continue the disciple-making process. Are you a fruitful maker of disciples of Christ?
FILL THE EARTH AND GOVERN IT.
We are to fill the Earth with people and exercise continuous sovereign authority over mankind. We are made to be rulers of this world! But we gave up that authority to the devil when we sinned against God. We see the devil telling Jesus that he had authority over this world.
Even though Jesus won back that authority for mankind we still have not filled the Earth with persons who are faithful to God’s Kingdom, and we have yet to govern this world the way that God requires.
As a child of God, what will you do to ensure that God’s Kingdom will fill this Earth and we will start to govern it the way God requires?
REIGN OVER GOD’S CREATION
Synonyms for reign over include: direct, head, lead, administer, oversee, manage, regulate, superintend and supervise. I believe God intended mankind to do these when he said “Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
Are we doing this? Are we taking care of God’s creation?
Other synonyms for reign over include: dictate, dominate, domineer, oppress, tyrannize, lord it over, and subjugate. As we look at how we treat God’s creation, how we misuse and abuse them and each other, these words seem more appropriate in describing our actions.
What can we change so that we can reign over God’s creation the way that He desires?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for sending the Lord Jesus Christ to show us how to live our lives fully obedient to You. Thank You for blessing us with Your Holy Spirit so that we can be fruitful and multiply the way You require.
Father God, we surrender to You now and ask You to help us to make fruitful disciples, who will continue to fill the Earth with disciples of Jesus Christ, and who will govern it and take care of Your creation as You intended in the beginning. Amen.