And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day. – Genesis 1:11-13

On day three, we see God beginning to place resources on the planet. Out of the ground, sprang up all manner of vegetation that would sustain the creatures that would come to dwell there. There was grass for the beasts of the field and fruits and seeds for the birds and tree dwelling creatures. These resources were designed for everyone. No creature would lack the needed nutrition. Nothing was designed and made without a specific purpose. When God looked on them all, they were good.

His Plans Are Long-term

In this short passage, the Bible reveals the origin of the first plant and, in so doing, reveals several characteristics of God. He builds on a foundation that is already laid, as do all master builders. He did not bring forth the plants from space, but he caused them to grow from the ground that was previously made. When the animals later fed on the grass, herbs, and fruits, they deposited their waste into the ground, and when they died, they decomposed in the ground. This ensured that nutrients were continuously recycled, and a new generation of plants can use those nutrients for growth, restarting the cycle all over again.

In essence, what God did was permanent and self-sustaining. His intention was not to recreate things for different generations, but to make them once and for all. Everything He does is permanent, and an understanding of this principle is important in understanding what God does in our lives. He is a God that does not change His mind or do things in regret. If we follow His rules, the blessings that He has given us will be ours forever. He has made them so that they are self replicating.

Consider our nature as humans. As long as we are eating right, our cells and genes are programmed to self-replicate. Modern science calls it DNA replication (Genesis 1:22,28). We shed off old skin like every other creature and we grow it new from underneath. When we pair up and copulate, our genes will be transferred automatically to the next generation, no applications need be filed. It is a pre-programmed event placed in us from the day we were created. He made the grass, herbs and trees to have seed in themself after their kind. He gave them the ability to reproduce themselves so that we would never lack provisions. Indeed, He made us to reproduce so that the earth would never again be desolate.

This was the state of things until Adam changed them, as revealed later in Genesis 3. Thereafter, a wall was erected beyond which replication stops and decay begins. Modern science now puts that stage at about the age of 40. After which, gradual decline begins.

Your Needs Are Already Taken Care Of

In God’s plan, plants and fruits were to be the tools by which man and beast could mine the earth for needed nutrients. Man cannot eat the soil, but the plants would take out all that was essential and man could access it by eating plants. All that we will ever need has already been placed in the earth and the means to extract them provided. Even today, we get nourishment either directly by eating vegetables and fruits or indirectly by eating animals that have already processed the vegetables.

By this, we have slowly fulfilled the divine commission to bear fruit, multiply, and populate the earth. When we die, we return to the earth and the resources contained in our bodies are returned to the ground (Genesis 3:17-19). All the fancy food we eat comes from the ground. However, the more artificial processing we deploy, the less the nutrients they yield. This is a common reason why we tend to overeat.

One thing that is obvious from discussions above is that every resource we need to fulfill God’s commission for our lives is under our feet. It is already under our power. The question is whether we are aware of this fact and if we know how to access it? Has God called you for a work or purpose? Rest assured He has made the needed resources available for you. Has God called you as a missionary to a foreign land? He will provide for His own. The God that provided a ram for Abraham (Genesis 22:13) and bread for Elijah (1 Kings 17:6) will not forget you.

There was an English gentleman who was a brilliant and gifted orator. He came from a wealthy home and lived a life of debauchery at Cambridge. He, along with his friends, eventually went on into politics and found faith one summer during a trip to France and Italy. He decided to stay in politics and became one of the greatest abolitionists in England. Through his skillful arguments, the support of his loyal friends (including John Newton of the famous Amazing Grace hymn) and the Grace of God, the British parliament passed a law banning slavery in the kingdom. That man was William Wilberforce.

God had already given Wilberforce the oratory skills he needed to fulfill his calling long before he ever found faith. God may bring people your way who will support you or He may provide by blessing the work of your hands, but He will never turn His back on you. Your provision will not fall down from heaven; they are already here…on earth. May He open our eyes to see the enormous resources He has invested in us. Amen