Psalm 104:18 God Created and God Cares
“The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the hyrax” (NIV).
I don’t know what a hyrax is, but I imagine it may be similar to this ground squirrel. This particular ground squirrel lives on Mount Lemmon just outside Tucson, Arizona. We got to watch him for much of an afternoon. It was obvious that he was at home in this forested area. He knew where to find food, and he knew how to look out for danger. He used his tail to maintain balance, and he used his tiny claws to climb straight up and straight down the tree. He tolerated us as long as we stayed at a distance. As we approached, he moved away, but he didn’t run off and hide. It seemed as though he was familiar with people and had no immediate fear of them. It was quite enjoyable to observe this beautiful creation of God and to recognize the ways in which he was created for this environment.
Sometimes I wonder how closely God watches me. I know that He created me and gave me all that I need to thrive in my environment. He has done all of that for all that he created from the ground squirrel to the human being. I love watching the animals of His creation and seeing how they live and interact with their physical environment. They seem to enjoy life and live it to the full. Jesus tells us in John 10:10b, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (NKJV). All of God’s creation has been created that each living thing may have an abundant life, but Jesus came to point us to a more abundant life, something no other living thing has been provided. We are special to Him. After he created mankind, He had finished with His creation, for He had then created the entire reason for creation—to provide someone to fellowship with Him. Then He gave our spirits eternal life, and to make sure that we could fellowship with Him for eternity, He sent His Son, Jesus, to atone for our sins so that we can come directly into His presence.
That seems like a lot to get from just watching a small animal scamper around living his live on Mount Lemmon. But that’s one of the reasons that I love to get out in nature. It brings me closer to Him as I see and absorb the grandeur of His creativity and love.