The Lord satisfies every living thing

Charlie

“You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:16 NIV)

Our family’s sad loss

Our beautiful little dog, Charlie, was hit by a car and was instantly taken from us. It was a terrible shock to us and also to our grandchildren who loved him so dearly. There has been a lot of tears and sadness in our family over the loss. One of the grandchildren asked, “When is Charlie’s funeral?” This made me think about what the Bible says about animals. It says that God has made and knows every creature. He has given them all breath, they are His, He cares about them and knows when they die. It doesn’t say anywhere that they go to heaven, but, it also doesn’t say that they don’t. But, we do know for certain that God has a perfect future planned and we can trust Him totally. As the verse at top says, “You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”

Here's some of what we learn from the Bible about animals:

• All animals are His and He knows them

“…for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine.” (Psalms 50:10-11)

• God cares for animals and knows when they die

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.” (Matt. 10:29)

• Animals and humans have the same breath

“I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” (Eccles. 3:18-21)

• God preserves both people and animals

“Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.” (Psalm 36:6)

• All creatures bring glory to God

“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Rev.  5: 13)

Therefore…

“My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.  Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.” (Psalm 145:21)