Subdue the Earth But Use It Wisely
G. Catlin the Artist Shooting Buffalo With Colt's Revolving Pistol
The scene is a buffalo hunt by Indians on horseback but in the very center, the artist has placed himself. He is not hunting with the traditional bow and arrow of the Indians but with the latest invention of the Colt revolving pistol. His aim has gone straight for the heart of the buffalo he is shooting. The buffalo scatter in all directions with the strange sound of the gun.
This was a wild time in taming the American west and reminds me of God's original commission to man. " Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." Genesis 1:28
The buffalo that ran wild on the western plains were initially used by the Indians for food, clothing, and shelter. They used every part of the buffalo for something and nothing went to waste. Only later when hunting buffalo became a sport did man abuse God's directive. Soon the buffalo was almost extinct.
We have all been given something to do in which we are to bring some part of this world into order. By subduing the world around us we provide for our needs with what God has given us. Our commission is to fill the earth and subdue it -- NOT take and drain it. Take care to be a good steward of this earth and you will find it provides for you and your family for many years to come.