10/04/2026
Adam’s first earthly companions were animals. God brought them to him, and he named them. Animals were intended to enrich human life, and humans were meant to steward them with care and joy. This relationship wasn’t incidental—it was part of God’s very good creation. The principle of continuity suggests that what God declared very good in Eden will be restored as part of the New Earth. Animals were subjected to suffering and death by the fall of humanity, so it makes sense they will also share in the restoration of deliverance from the Curse. They were given a central role in the original creation, so we should expect the same in the new. “For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay” (Romans 8:19-21, NLT). www.epm.org/allcreatures
