God Is the Source of Life for All Things (III)

Over this period of time, we have spoken about many topics related to knowing God and recently we talked about a topic which is related to this, and which is of great importance. What is the topic? (God Is the Source of Life for All Things.) It seems the subject matter and the theme I spoke of made a clear impression on everyone. Last time we talked about a few aspects of the environment for survival that God created for man, as well as the many kinds of food and drink necessary for man to live, which God has prepared for man. In fact, what God does is not limited to preparing an environment for man’s survival, nor to preparing his daily food and drink. Rather, it consists of completing a great deal of wondrous and essential work involving many different facets and aspects for man’s survival and for the life of mankind. These are all God’s deeds. These deeds of God are not only limited to His preparation of an environment for man’s survival and his daily food and drink—they have a much broader scope than that. In other words, aside from these two types of work, He also prepares a large number of environments and conditions for survival that are necessary for man to live. This is the topic that we are going to discuss today. It is also related to God’s deeds; otherwise, talking about it here would be meaningless. If people want to know God but they only have a literal understanding of “God” as a word, or of various aspects of what God has and is, then that is not a true understanding. So what is the path to knowledge of God? It is coming to know Him—to know Him in all of His many aspects—through His deeds. So, we must hold further fellowship on the subject of God’s deeds at the time when He created all things.

Ever since God created all things, they have been operating, and they have been progressing in an orderly way, in accordance with the laws that He established. Under God’s gaze and His sovereignty, all things have been progressing in an orderly way alongside man’s existence. There is nothing that can change or destroy these laws. It is because of God’s sovereignty that all things can multiply, and it is also because of His sovereignty and management that all things can survive. So, under God’s sovereignty all things spring forth, thrive, disappear, and reemerge in an orderly fashion. When spring arrives, drizzling rain brings the feeling of the fresh season and wets the earth. The ground begins to thaw, and grass pushes its way up through the soil and begins to sprout, while the trees gradually turn green. All these living things bring fresh vitality to the earth. This is what it looks like when all things are springing forth and thriving. All sorts of animals come out of their burrows to feel the warmth of spring and start a new year. All beings bask in the heat during the summer and enjoy the warmth brought by the season. They grow rapidly. Trees, grass, and all types of plants are growing with great speed, until they finally bloom and even bear fruit. All things are busy during the summer, including humans. In the fall, light rain brings autumn’s coolness, and all types of living things start to sense the arrival of the harvest season. All things bear fruit, and humans begin to harvest these various kinds of fruits in order to have food in preparation for winter. In the winter, all things gradually begin to settle down in quietness and rest as the cold weather sets in, and people also take a break during this season. The transitions and variations between seasons all cycle and change according to the laws established by God. He leads all things and mankind using these laws; He has devised for mankind a rich and colorful way of life, and prepared an environment with varying temperatures and seasons for mankind’s survival. Hence, within this kind of orderly environment for survival, humans can survive and multiply in an orderly way. No person can change these laws, nor can any person or thing break them. No matter what great upheavals or reversals the world undergoes, these laws always exist. Their existence is due to God’s existence, God’s sovereignty, and God’s management. With such an orderly overall environment, the life of mankind also proceeds within these laws and rules. These laws have nurtured generation after generation of people, and enabled generation after generation of people to survive under them. Man has enjoyed all things and this orderly environment for survival, which God created for generation after generation of people. Even though man thinks that these laws exist naturally; even though he regards them dismissively; and even though he cannot feel that God is orchestrating these laws, that God is holding sovereignty over these laws, God is always engaged in this unchanging work no matter what. His purpose in doing this unchanging work is the survival of mankind, and the continuation of mankind.

God Sets Boundaries for All Things so as to Nurture All of Mankind

Today I am going to speak on the topic of how it is that these types of laws that God has brought to all things nurture all of mankind. This is a rather large topic, so we can divide it into several parts and discuss them one at a time so that they can be clearly delineated for you. This way it will be easier for you to grasp and then you can gradually understand it.

The First Part: God Sets Boundaries for Each Sort of Terrain

So, let us begin with the first part. When God created all things, He drew boundaries for mountains, plains, deserts, hills, rivers, and lakes. On the earth there are mountains, plains, deserts, and hills, as well as various bodies of water. These are different types of terrain, are they not? Between them, God drew boundaries. When we speak of drawing boundaries, it means that mountains have their delineations, plains have their own delineations, deserts have certain limits, and hills have a fixed area. There is also a fixed quantity of bodies of water such as rivers and lakes. That is, when God created all things, He divided everything very clearly. God has already determined how many kilometers wide any given mountain should be and what its scope is. He has also determined how many kilometers wide any given plain should be and how far it ranges. When creating all things, He also determined the limits of the deserts. He determined the range of the hills, their areas, and what they are bordered by. He determined the range of rivers and lakes during the act of creating them—they all have their boundaries. So what does it mean when we talk about “boundaries”? We just talked about how God exercises sovereignty over all things by establishing laws for all things. That is, the range and boundaries of mountains will not expand or decrease because of the rotation of the earth or the passing of the ages. They are fixed, unchanging, and it is God who holds sovereignty over their unchangeability. As for the areas of the plains, what their range is, what they are bordered by—this has also been set by God. They have their boundaries. It would be impossible for a mound of earth to rise up at random from the ground of a plain, with the plain suddenly turning into a mountain—that would be impossible. This is the meaning of the laws and boundaries we just talked about. As for the deserts, we will not mention the specific functions of the deserts or any other type of terrain or geographical location here, only their boundaries. Under God’s sovereignty, the desert will not expand either. This is because God has given it its law, its limits. How large its area is and what its function is, what it is bordered by, and where it is located—this has already been set by God. It will not exceed its limits or shift its position, and its area will not expand arbitrarily. Although bodies of water such as rivers and lakes all flow in an orderly and continuous manner, they will never go beyond their range or boundaries. They flow in one direction, the direction in which they are supposed to flow, in an orderly way. So under the laws of God’s sovereignty, no river or lake will dry up arbitrarily or arbitrarily change the direction or quantity of its flow due to the rotation of the earth or the passing of the ages. All this is within God’s control. That is to say, all things created by God in the midst of this mankind have their set places, areas, and limits. That is, when God created all things, their boundaries were established, and they cannot be arbitrarily altered, renewed, or changed. What does “arbitrarily” mean? It means that they will not randomly shift, expand, or change their original form due to the weather, temperature, or the rotational speed of the earth. For example, a mountain is of a certain height, its base is of a certain area, it has a certain altitude, and it has a certain amount of vegetation. This is all planned and calculated by God and it will not be arbitrarily changed. As for plains, the majority of humans reside in the plains, and no changes in climate will impact their areas or the value of their existence. Not even the things contained within these various terrains and geographical environments that were created by God will be arbitrarily changed. For example, the composition of the desert, types of underground mineral deposits, the amount of sand a desert contains, the color of the sand, the thickness of the desert—these will not arbitrarily change. Why is it that they will not arbitrarily change? It is because of God’s sovereignty and His management. Within all of these different terrains and geographical environments created by God, He is managing everything in a planned and orderly way. So all of these geographical environments still exist and are still performing their functions thousands and even tens of thousands of years after they were created by God. Even if there are certain periods when volcanoes erupt, and periods when earthquakes occur, and there are major shifts of the land, God absolutely will not allow any type of terrain to lose its original function. It is only because of this management by God, His sovereignty and control over these laws, that all of this—all of this which is enjoyed and seen by man—can survive on the earth in an orderly way. So why does God manage all these various terrains that exist on the earth in this way? His purpose is so that the living things that survive in various geographical environments will all have a stable environment, and so that they are able to continue to live and multiply within that stable environment. All of these things, including both the mobile and the immobile—that is, those that breathe through their nostrils and those that do not—make up a unique environment for the survival of mankind. Only this kind of environment is able to nurture generation after generation of people, and only this kind of environment can allow people to continue to peacefully survive, generation after generation.

What I have just talked about is a bit of a large topic, so perhaps it seems somewhat removed from your lives, but you can all understand it. That is to say, God’s laws in His sovereignty over all things are very important—very important indeed! What is the precondition for the growth of all things under these laws? It is because of God’s sovereignty. It is because of His sovereignty that all things carry out their own functions within His sovereignty. For example, the mountains nurture the forests and the forests in turn nurture and protect the various birds and beasts that live within them. The plains are a platform prepared for humans to plant crops as well as for various birds and beasts. They allow the majority of people to live on flat land and provide convenience in people’s lives. And the plains also include the grasslands—huge swaths of grassland. The grasslands provide plant cover for the earth’s floor. They protect the soil and nurture the cattle, sheep, and horses that live on the grasslands. The desert also carries out its own function. It is not a place for humans to live; its role is to make humid climates drier. The flows of the rivers and lakes bring people drinking water in a convenient way. Wherever they flow, people will have water to drink and the needs of all things for water will be conveniently satisfied. These are the boundaries drawn by God for the various terrains.

The Second Part: God Sets Boundaries for Each Kind of Living Thing

Because of these boundaries that God has drawn, various terrains have produced different environments for survival, and these environments for survival have been convenient for various kinds of birds and beasts and have also given them space to survive. From this the boundaries for the environments for survival of the various living things have been developed. This is the second part we are going to talk about next. First of all, where do the various birds and beasts and insects live? They live in forests and groves, don’t they? These are their homelands. So, aside from establishing boundaries for the various geographical environments, God also drew boundaries and established laws for the various birds and beasts, fish, insects, and all the plants. Because geographical environments vary, and because different geographical environments exist, different types of birds and beasts, fish, insects, and plants have different environments for survival. The birds and the beasts and the insects live among the various plants, the fish live in the water, and the plants grow on the land. The land includes various zones such as mountains, plains, and hills. Once the birds and the beasts have their own set homelands, they will not wander around, going any which way. Their homelands are the forests and the mountains. If, one day, their homelands were destroyed, this order would be thrown into chaos. As soon as the order is thrown into chaos, what are the consequences? Who is the first to be hurt? It is mankind. Within these laws and limits that God has established, have you seen any peculiar phenomena? For example, have you ever seen elephants casually walking in the desert? If this really happened it would be a very strange phenomenon, because elephants live in wooded areas, and that is the environment for survival that God prepared for them. They have their own environment for survival and their own set home, so why would they go running around? Has anyone seen lions or tigers walking by the ocean shore? No, you have not. The home of the lions and tigers is the forest and the mountains. Has anyone seen the whales or sharks of the ocean swimming through the desert? No, you have not. Whales and sharks make their homes in the ocean. In humans’ living environment, are there people who live alongside brown bears? Are there people who are always surrounded by peacocks or other birds, inside and outside of their homes? Has anyone seen eagles or wild geese playing with monkeys? (No.) These would all be peculiar phenomena. The reason I speak of these things that seem so peculiar to your ears is to have you understand that all things created by God—no matter if they are fixed in one place or whether they can breathe through their nostrils—have their own laws for survival. Long before God created these living things, He had already prepared for them their individual homelands and environments for survival. These living things had their own fixed environments for survival, their own food and their own fixed homelands, and they had their own fixed places suitable for their survival, or places with temperatures suitable for their survival. So, they would not wander around any which way, and thus undermine mankind’s survival or impact their life. This is how God manages all things, providing for man the best environment for survival. The living things within all creation each have their own life-sustaining food within their own environments for survival. With that food, they are attached to their native environment for survival. In that kind of environment, they continue to survive, multiply, and move forward in accordance with the laws God has established for them. Because of these types of laws, because of God’s ordination, all things live in harmony with mankind, and mankind and all things also depend on one another for survival.

The Third Part: God Sustains the Environment and Ecosystems to Nurture Mankind

God created all things and established boundaries for them; among them He nurtured all kinds of living things. Meanwhile, He also prepared different means of survival for mankind, so you can see that human beings do not just have one way to survive, nor do they have just one type of environment for survival. We talked before about God preparing various types of food and water sources for humans, which are critical for allowing man’s life in the flesh to continue. However, among this mankind, not all people subsist on grains. People have different means of survival due to differences in geographical environments and terrains. These means of survival have all been prepared by God. So not all humans are primarily engaged in farming. That is, not all people get their food from growing crops. This is the third part that we are going to talk about: Boundaries have arisen due to mankind’s various different lifestyles. So what other types of lifestyles do humans have? What are the other types of people who get their food in different ways? There are several primary types.

The first is a hunting lifestyle. Everyone knows what that is. What do people who live by hunting eat? (Game.) They eat the birds and the beasts of the forest. “Game” is a modern word. Hunters do not think of it as game; they think of it as food, as their daily sustenance. For example, they get a deer. When they get this deer, it is just like a farmer obtaining food from the soil. A farmer gets food from the soil, and when he sees this food, he is happy and feels at ease. The family will not be hungry with crops to eat. The farmer’s heart is free from anxiety and he feels satisfied. A hunter also feels at ease and satisfied when looking at what he has caught because he does not have to worry about food anymore. There is something to eat for the next meal and there is no need to go hungry. This is someone who hunts for a living. The majority of those who subsist on hunting live in the mountain forests. They do not farm. It is not easy to find arable land there, so they survive on various living things, various types of prey. This is the first kind of lifestyle that is different from that of ordinary people.

The second type is the herding lifestyle. Do people who herd animals for a living also farm the land? (No.) So what do they do? How do they live? (For the most part, they herd cattle and sheep for a living, and in the winter they slaughter and eat their livestock. Their staple food is beef and mutton, and they drink milk tea. Although herders are busy all four seasons, they eat well. They don’t lack milk, dairy products, or meat.) People who herd animals for a living primarily eat beef and mutton, drink sheep’s milk and cows’ milk, and ride cattle and horses to herd their animals in the field, exposing themselves to the elements. But they do not face the stresses of modern life. They are greeted by broad expanses of blue skies and grassy plains each day. The great majority of people who subsist on herding live on grasslands, and they have been able to continue their nomadic way of life for generations. Although life on the grasslands is a little lonely, it is also a very happy life. It is not a bad way of life!

The third type is the fishing lifestyle. A small portion of mankind lives by the ocean or on small islands. They are surrounded by water, facing the ocean. These people fish for a living. What is the source of food for those who fish for a living? Their food sources include all types of fish, seafood, and other products of the sea. People who fish for a living do not farm the land, but instead spend every day fishing. Their staple food consists of various types of fish and products of the sea. They occasionally trade these things for rice, flour, and daily necessities. This is a different lifestyle led by people who live by the water. Living close to water, they rely on it for their food, and make their living from fishing. Fishing serves as both their source of livelihood and their source of food.

Aside from farming the land, mankind lives for the most part according to the three ways of life mentioned above. Outside of these few groups who live by herding animals, fishing, and hunting, the great majority of people farm for a living. And what do people who live by farming need? What they need is land. Generation after generation, they live by planting crops in the ground, and whether they plant vegetables, fruits, or grains, it is from the earth that they obtain their food and their daily necessities.

What are the basic conditions underpinning these different human lifestyles? Is it not absolutely necessary that the environments in which they are able to survive be preserved on a basic level? That is, if those who subsist on hunting were to lose the mountain forests or the birds and the beasts, the source of their livelihood would be gone. Where such an ethnic group—such a group of people—would end up is unknown, and they might even disappear. And what of those who herd animals for their livelihood? What do they rely upon? What they truly depend on is not their livestock, but the environment in which their livestock are able to survive—the grasslands. If there were no grasslands, where would the herders graze their livestock? What would the cattle and sheep eat? Without the livestock, these nomadic peoples’ source of livelihood would be gone. Without a source of livelihood, where would these peoples go? It would become very difficult for them to continue to survive; they would not have a future. If there were no sources of water, and rivers and lakes completely dried up, would all those fish, which depend on water to live, still exist? They would not. Would these people who depend on the water and the fish for their livelihood continue to survive? When they no longer have food, when they no longer have the source of their livelihood, these peoples would not be able to continue to survive. That is, if any given ethnicity should ever run into a problem with their livelihood or their survival, then that ethnicity would no longer continue, and they could disappear from the face of the earth and become extinct. And if those who farm for a living lost their land, if they could not cultivate all kinds of plants and derive food from those plants, then what would the outcome be? Without food, would people not starve to death? If people starved to death, would that type of human being not be wiped out? So this is God’s purpose in maintaining different kinds of environments. God only has one purpose in maintaining different environments and ecosystems and all the different living things that live within them—and that is to nurture all kinds of people, to nurture people who live in different geographical environments.

If all the things of creation lost their own laws, they would no longer exist; if the laws of all things were lost, then the living things within all creation would not be able to continue. Humanity would also lose their environments upon which they depend for survival. If humanity lost all of that, they would not be able to continue, as they have been doing, to multiply and live on generation after generation. The reason human beings have survived until now is that God has supplied them with all the things of creation to nurture them, to nurture mankind in different ways. It is only because God nurtures mankind in different ways that mankind has survived until now, the present day. With a fixed environment for survival that is favorable and has rules, all the different kinds of people and different races on the earth, can survive within their own prescribed areas. No one can go beyond these areas or the boundaries between them because it is God who has delineated them. Why would God delineate boundaries in this way? This is a matter of great importance for all of mankind—truly of great importance! God delineated a range for each kind of living thing and fixed the means of survival for each type of human being. He also divided the different types of people and different races on the earth and established a range for them. This is what we will discuss next.

The Fourth Part: God Draws Boundaries Between Different Races

Fourth, God drew boundaries between different races. On earth there are white people, black people, brown people, and yellow people. These are the different types of people. God also fixed a scope for the lives of these different types of people, and without being aware of it, people live within the environment for survival they ought to live in under God’s management. No one can step outside of this. For example, let us consider white people. What is the geographical range in which most of them live? Most live in Europe and America. The geographical range in which black people primarily live is Africa. Brown people primarily live in Southeast Asia and South Asia, in countries such as Thailand, India, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos. Yellow people live primarily in Asia, in countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea. God has appropriately distributed all these different types of races so that these different races are distributed across different parts of the world. In these different parts of the world, God long ago prepared an environment for survival suitable for each different race of human beings. Within these survival environments, God has prepared for them soils of varying color and makeup. In other words, the components making up white people’s bodies are not the same as those that make up black people’s bodies, and they are also different from the components that make up the bodies of people of other races. When God created all things, He had already prepared an environment for survival for that race. His purpose in doing so was that when that type of people started to multiply, and to increase in number, they could be fixed within a certain range. So, before God created human beings, He had already thought it all out—He would reserve Europe and America for white people to allow them to develop and survive. So when God was creating the land He already had a plan, He had a goal and a purpose in adding certain things to any given piece of land, and in nurturing certain things on that piece of land. For example, what mountains, how many plains, how many water sources, what kinds of birds and beasts, what fish, and what plants would be on that land—God had prepared them all long ago. That is, when preparing an environment for survival for a given type of human being, for a given race, God needed to consider many issues from all sorts of angles: the geographical environment, the makeup of the soil, the different species of birds and beasts, the size of the different types of fish, the components making up the bodies of fish, differences in water quality, as well as all the different types of plants…. God had long ago prepared all of that. That kind of environment is the native environment for survival that God created and prepared for white people. Have you seen that when God created all things He put a lot of thought into it and acted with a plan? (Yes, we have seen that God’s considerations for various types of people were very thoughtful. For the environment for survival that He created for different types of humans, what kinds of birds and beasts and fish, how many mountains and how many plains He would prepare, He considered with the utmost thoughtfulness and precision.) Take white people for example. What foods do white people primarily eat? The foods that white people eat are very different from the foods that Asian people eat. The staple foods that white people eat consist mainly of meat, eggs, milk, and poultry. Grains such as bread and rice are generally supplementary foods that are put on the side of the plate. Even when eating vegetable salad, they tend to put in a few pieces of roast beef or chicken, and even when eating wheat-based foods, they tend to add things like cheese, eggs, or meat. That is to say, their staple foods do not consist primarily of wheat-based foods or rice; rather they eat a large amount of meat and cheese. They often drink ice water because the foods they eat are very high in calories. So, white people are exceptionally robust. Such is the source of their livelihood and the living environments prepared for them by God, which allow them to have this way of life, one that is different from the lifestyles of people of other races. There is no right or wrong in this way of life—it is innate, preordained by God, and it arises from God’s sovereignty and arrangements. That this race has this way of life and this source for their livelihood is because of their race, and because of the environment for survival prepared for them by God. You could say that the environment for survival God prepared for white people, and the daily food and drink they derive from that environment, is rich and plentiful, containing everything they need.

God also prepared the necessary environments for survival for other races, black people being among them. Where are black people located? They are primarily located in central and southern Africa. What did God prepare for them in that kind of environment for living? Tropical rainforests, all sorts of birds and beasts, and also deserts, and all kinds of plants that live alongside the people. They have sources for water, their livelihoods, and food. God was impartial in His treatment of them. No matter what they have ever done, their survival has never been an issue. They too occupy a certain location and a certain area in a part of the world.

Now, let us talk about yellow people. Yellow people are primarily located in the East of the earth. What are the differences between the environments and geographical positions of the East and the West? In the East, the majority of the land is fertile, and rich in natural resources and mineral deposits. That is, all sorts of above-ground and underground resources are exceptionally plentiful. And for this group of people, for this race, God also prepared the corresponding soil, climate, and various geographical environments that are suitable for them. Although there are great differences between that geographical environment and the environment in the West, God also prepared people’s necessary food, sources of livelihood, and sources for survival. It is simply a different living environment from that of white people in the West. But what is the one thing that I need to tell you? The number of Eastern people is quite large, so God added a lot of elements to that part of the earth that are different from those found in the West, adding many different landscapes and all kinds of abundant materials there. The East has a great abundance of natural products, and the terrain is varied and diverse, which makes it adequate for nurturing the enormous number of Eastern people. What differentiates the East from the West is that in the East—from south to north, east to west—the climate is better than in the West. The four seasons are clearly distinct, temperatures are suitable, there is an exceptional abundance of natural products, and the natural scenery and types of terrain are much better than in the West. Why did God do this? God created a very rational balance between white people and yellow people. What does this mean? It means that all aspects of white people’s food, the things that they use, and the things provided for their enjoyment are far better than what yellow people are able to enjoy. However, God is not partial toward any race—God gave yellow people a more beautiful and better environment for survival. This is the balance.

God has preordained which races should live in which part of the world; can humans go beyond these limits? (No, they cannot.) This is a wondrous thing! Even if there are wars or invasions during different periods or in extraordinary times, these wars and invasions absolutely cannot destroy the environments for survival that God has preordained for each race. That is, God has fixed certain races in certain parts of the world and they cannot go beyond those limits. Even if people have some kind of ambition to change or expand their territory, without God’s permission, this will be very difficult to achieve. It will be very difficult for them to succeed. For example, white people wanted to expand their territory and they colonized some other countries. The Germans invaded some countries, and Britain once occupied India. What was the outcome? In the end, they all failed. What do we see from their failure? What God has preordained, He does not permit people to destroy. So, no matter how great the momentum you may have seen in Britain’s expansion, ultimately they still had to withdraw, leaving the land still belonging to India. Those who live on that land are still Indians, not the British. This is because God would not allow it. Some of those who research history or politics have arrived at some conclusions about this. They give reasons for why Britain failed, saying that it could be because a certain people could not be conquered, or it could be for some other human reason…. These are not real reasons. The real reason lies with God—He would not allow it! God lets a people live on a certain piece of land and settles them there, and if God does not allow them to move from that land, they will never be able to move. If God allots a defined area for them, they will live within that area. People cannot break free or breach these defined areas. This is certain. No matter how great the forces of the invaders, or how weak the forces of those being invaded, the invaders’ success is ultimately for God to decide. It is already preordained by Him, and no one can change it.

The above is how God has distributed the various races. What work has God done to distribute the races? First, He prepared the large-scale geographical environment, allocating different locations for people, after which generation after generation has survived in those places. Once this is settled, the defined area for their survival is also settled. And their lives—what they eat, what they drink, what they rely on to survive—have long since been determined by God. And when God was creating all things, He made different preparations for different types of people: There are different soil compositions, different climates, different plants, and different geographical environments. Different places even have different birds and beasts, different waters have their own special types of fish and aquatic products. Even the types of insects are determined by God. For example, the things that grow on the American continent are all very large, very tall, and very robust. The trees in the mountain forests all have very shallow roots, but they grow very tall. They can even reach heights of a hundred meters or more, but the trees in the forests in Asia are mostly not so tall. Take aloe plants for another example. In Japan they are very narrow and very thin, but the aloe plants in the United States are very thick and large. There is a difference here. It is the same type of plant with the same name, but on the American continent it grows especially large. The differences in these various aspects may not be seen or perceived by people, but when God was creating all things, He delineated them and prepared different geographical environments, different terrains, and different living things for different races. That is because God created different types of people and He knows what each of them needs and what their lifestyles are.

God Holds Sovereignty Over All and Provides for All, He Is the God of All Things

After covering these aspects, have you learned something about the topic we just discussed? Are you starting to understand it? I believe you should now have a rough idea of why I chose to talk about these aspects within the broader topic. Is that the case? Perhaps you could talk a little about how much of it you understood. (All of mankind has been nurtured by the laws determined by God for all things. When God was determining these laws, He prepared different environments, different lifestyles, different foods, and different climates and temperatures for different races. This was so that all of mankind could settle on the earth and survive. From this I can see God’s plans for mankind’s survival are very precise and I can see His wisdom and perfection, and His love for us humans.) (The laws and scopes determined by God cannot be changed by any person, event, or thing. It is all under His sovereignty.) In terms of how God determined the laws for the growth of all things, is not mankind, in all its variety, all living under God’s provision, all living under God’s nurturing? If these laws were broken or if God had not established these laws for man, what would mankind’s prospects be? After humans lost their basic environments for survival, would they have any source of food? It is possible that food sources would become a problem. If people lost their sources of food, that is, if they could not get anything to eat, how many days would they be able to carry on? Possibly they would not last for even a single month, and their very survival would become a problem. So every single thing that God does for people’s survival, for their continuation, reproduction, and existence is very important. Every single thing that God does among the things of His creation is closely related to and inseparable from the survival of man. If man’s survival became a problem, could God’s management continue? Would God’s management still exist? God’s management coexists with the survival of all mankind whom He nurtures, so whatever preparations God makes for all things and whatever He does for humans, they are all necessary for Him, and are indispensable for mankind’s survival. If these laws that God determined for all things were departed from, if these laws were broken and thrown into chaos, all things would no longer be able to exist, mankind’s environment for survival would not continue to exist, nor their daily food and drink, nor mankind itself. Consequently, God’s management of mankind’s salvation would also cease to exist.

Everything that we have discussed, every single thing, every item is intimately linked to the survival of every single person. You might say, “What You are talking about is too big, it is not something that we can see,” and perhaps there are people who would say, “What You are talking about has nothing to do with me.” However, do not forget that you are living as just a part of all things; you are one among all the things of creation under God’s sovereignty. The things of God’s creation cannot be separated from His sovereignty, and not a single person can separate themselves from His sovereignty. Losing His sovereignty and losing His provision would mean that people’s lives, people’s fleshly lives, would disappear. This is the importance of God establishing environments for survival for mankind. It does not matter what race you belong to or what piece of land you live on, be it in the West or the East—you cannot separate yourself from the environment for survival that God has established for mankind, and you cannot separate yourself from the nurture and provisions of the environment for survival He has established for humans. No matter what your means of subsistence is, what you rely on to live, and what you rely on to sustain your life in the flesh, you cannot separate yourself from God’s sovereignty and His management. Some people say: “I am not a farmer; I don’t plant crops for a living. I don’t rely on the heavens for my food, so my survival is not taking place within the environment for survival established by God. I have not been given anything from that kind of environment.” Is that right? You say that you do not plant crops for your living, but do you not eat grains? Do you not eat meat and eggs? And do you not eat vegetables and fruit? Everything that you eat, all of these things that you need, are inseparable from the environment for survival established by God for mankind. And the source of everything that man requires cannot be separated from all the things created by God, which in their totality constitute your environments for survival. The water you drink, the clothing you wear, and all the things that you use—which of these is not obtained from among the things of God’s creation? Some people say: “There are some items that are not obtained from the things of God’s creation. You see, plastic is one of those items. It is a chemical thing, a man-made thing.” Is that right? Plastic is indeed man-made, and it is a chemical thing, but where do the original components of plastic come from? The original components are obtained from materials created by God. Every single thing that you enjoy, that you see, that you use, it is all obtained from the things which God created. That is to say, no matter what race a person might belong to, no matter what their means of subsistence might be, or in what type of environment for survival they might live, they cannot separate themselves from what God has provided. So are these things that we have discussed today related to our topic of “God Is the Source of Life for All Things”? Do the things we have discussed today fall under this larger topic? (Yes.) Perhaps some of what I have talked about today is a little abstract and a little difficult to discuss. However, I think that you probably have a better understanding of it now.

These last few times in fellowship, the range of the topics that we have had fellowship on has been fairly broad, and their scope fairly wide, so it has been somewhat difficult for you to listen to. This is because these topics are things that people have never encountered before in their belief in God. Some people hear these things as a mystery and some people hear them as a story—which perspective is right? From what perspective do you hear all of this? (We have seen how methodically God has arranged all the things of His creation and that all things have these laws, and through these words we can understand more of God’s deeds and His meticulous arrangements for the salvation of man.) Through these times in fellowship, have you seen how far the scope of God’s management of all things extends? (Over all of mankind, over everything.) Is God the God of one race only? Is He the God of only one type of people? Is He the God of just a small portion of people? (No, He is not.) Since that is not the case, if, in your knowledge of God, you believe that He is only the God of a small portion of people, or that He is your God alone, is this perspective correct? Since God manages and is the Sovereign of all things, people should see His deeds, His wisdom, and His almightiness that are revealed in His sovereignty over all things. This is something that people must know. If you say that God manages all things, and holds sovereignty over all things and over all of mankind, but you have no understanding of or insight into His sovereignty over all of mankind, can you really acknowledge that He holds sovereignty over all things? You may think in your heart, “I can, because I see that God has held sovereignty over my entire life.” But is God really that small? No, He is not! You only see God’s salvation for you and His work on you, and it is from these things alone that you see His sovereignty. That scope is too small, and this influences your genuine knowledge of God. It also limits your genuine knowledge that God is the Sovereign of all things. If you limit your knowledge of God to only the scope of His provision for you and His salvation for you, you will never be able to recognize that He holds sovereignty over everything, that He holds sovereignty over all things, and that He holds sovereignty over all of mankind. When you fail to recognize all of this, can you truly recognize the fact that God holds sovereignty over your fate? No, you cannot. In your heart you will never be able to recognize that aspect—you will never be able to reach this level of understanding. You understand what I am saying, yes? Actually, I know to what degree you are able to understand these topics, this content that I am talking about, so why do I keep talking about it? It is because these topics must be comprehended and understood by every single follower of God, every single person who wants to be saved by God. Even though at this moment you do not understand them, someday, when your life and your experience of the truth reach a certain level, when the change in your life disposition reaches a certain level and you attain a certain degree of stature, only then will these topics that I am communicating to you in fellowship truly provide for and satisfy your pursuit of knowledge of God. So these words are to lay a foundation, to prepare you for your future understanding that God is the Sovereign of all things and for your understanding of God Himself.

However much understanding of God there is in people’s hearts, that is also the extent of the position He holds in their hearts. However great the degree of knowledge of God is in their hearts, that is how great God is in their hearts. If the god that you know is empty and fanciful, then the god you believe in is also empty and fanciful, and the god that you know is limited to your own scope, and has nothing to do with the true God Himself. Thus, knowing God’s practical deeds, knowing the practicality of God and His almightiness, knowing the true identity of God Himself, knowing what He has and is, knowing the deeds that He has manifested among all things—these are very important to every single person who pursues knowledge of God. They have a direct bearing on whether people can enter into the truth reality. If you limit your understanding of God to just words, if you limit it to your own little experiences, to the grace of God that you tally up, or to your little testimonies to God, then I say that the god you believe in is absolutely not the true God Himself. It can also be said that the god you believe in is an imaginary god, not the true God. This is because the true God is the One that holds sovereignty over everything, that walks among everything, that manages everything. He is the One that holds the fate of all of mankind and of everything in His hands. The work and deeds of the God that I am talking about are not just limited to a small portion of people. That is, they are not limited to just the people who currently follow Him. Instead, His deeds are manifested among all things, in the existence of all things, and in the laws of change of all things. If you cannot see or recognize any deeds of God among all the things of His creation, then you cannot bear witness to any of His deeds. If you cannot bear any witness to God, if you continue as you have before to speak of the small so-called god that you know, that god who is limited to your own ideas and exists only within the narrow confines of your mind, if you keep speaking of that kind of god, then God will never approve of your faith. When you bear witness to God, if you do so only in terms of how you enjoy God’s grace, how you accept God’s discipline and His chastening, and how you enjoy His blessings, then that is nowhere near enough and not even close to satisfying Him. If you want to bear witness to God in a way that accords with His intentions, to bear witness to the true God Himself, then you must see what God has and is from His deeds. You must see God’s authority from His control of everything, and see the fact of how He provides for all of mankind. If you only acknowledge that your daily food and drink and your necessities in life come from God, but you fail to see the fact that God uses all the things of His creation to provide for all of mankind, and that, by holding sovereignty over all things, He is leading all of mankind, then you will never be able to bear witness to God. What is My purpose in saying all of this? It is so that you do not take this lightly, and so that you do not think that these topics I have spoken about are entirely unrelated to your own personal life entry, and do not take these topics as being just a type of knowledge or theory. If you listen to what I am saying with that kind of attitude, then you will not gain a single thing. You will lose this great opportunity to know God.

What is My goal in talking about all of these topics? My goal is to have people know God, to have people understand God’s practical deeds. Once you understand God and you know His deeds, only then can you have the opportunity or the possibility to know Him. If, for example, you want to understand a person, how would you come to understand them? Would it be through looking at their outward appearance? Would it be through looking at what they wear and how they dress? Would it be through looking at how they walk? Would it be through looking at the extent of their knowledge? (No.) So how do you understand a person? You discern, recognize, and understand a person based on their speech, actions, behavior, their thoughts, and the things they display and reveal about themselves. Likewise, if you want to know God, if you want to understand His practical side, His true side, you must know Him through His deeds and through every single practical thing He does. This is the best way, and it is the only way.

God Balances the Relationships Between All Things to Give Mankind a Stable Environment for Survival

God manifests His deeds among all things, and among all things He holds sovereignty over and controls the laws of all things. We just talked about how God holds sovereignty over the laws of all things as well as how He provides for and nurtures all of mankind under those laws. This is one aspect. Next, we are going to talk about another aspect, which is one way that God uses to have control over everything. I am speaking of how, after creating all things, God balances the relationships between them. This is also rather a large topic for you. Balancing the relationships between all things—is this something that people can accomplish? No, humans are incapable of this. People are capable only of destruction. They cannot balance the relationships between all things; they cannot control them, and such great authority and power are beyond their grasp. Only God Himself has the power to do this kind of thing. But what is God’s purpose in doing such a thing? This too has an immense bearing on mankind’s survival. Every single thing that God wants to do is necessary—there is nothing that He may or may not do. In order for Him to safeguard the survival of mankind and give them a favorable environment for survival, there are some indispensable, vital things that He must do.

At face value, the phrase, “God balances all things,” seems to be a very sweeping topic. First, it provides people with the concept that “balancing all things” also refers to God’s mastery over all things. What is the literal meaning of this word, “balance”? First, “balance” refers to not allowing something to fall out of balance. It is like using scales to weigh things. In order to balance the scales, the weight upon each side must be the same. God created among all that exists many different things: things that are set in their place, things that move, things that are living, things that are breathing, as well as things that do not breathe. Is it easy for all these things to form relationships in which they depend on one another for survival, foster one another while keeping one another in check, and foster and sustain one another? There certainly are principles within all of this, and they are very complicated, are they not? It is not difficult for God, but for people it is a very complicated matter to study. When it comes to just the simple word, “balance,” if people were to study it, and if people were to create balance by themselves, then even if all kinds of academics were working on it—human biologists, astronomers, physicists, chemists, and even historians—what would the ultimate outcome of that research be? Its outcome would be nothing. This is because God’s creation of all things is too wonderful, and man will never be able to fathom it. When God created all things, He established principles between them, established different ways of survival for mutual restraint, complementarity, and sustenance. These various methods are very intricate, and they are not simple or unidirectional. When people use their minds, the knowledge they have gained, and the phenomena they have observed to verify or study the principles behind God’s governance over all things, these things are extremely difficult to discover, and it is also very difficult to achieve any outcome. It is very hard for people to get any results; it is very difficult for people to maintain the balance of all things of God’s creation when relying on human thinking and knowledge to govern them. This is because if people do not know the principles of survival of all things, they will not know how to safeguard this type of balance. So, if people were to manage and govern all things, they would be very likely to destroy this balance. Once the balance was destroyed, mankind’s environments for survival would be destroyed, and when that happened, it would be followed by a crisis for the survival of mankind. It would bring about a disaster. If mankind is living amid disaster, what would their future be? The outcome would be very difficult to assess, and impossible to predict.

So, how does God balance the relationships between all things? First, there are some places in the world that are covered with ice and snow year-round, while in some other places, all four seasons are like spring, and winter never comes, and in places like this, you will never see so much as a patch of ice or a single snowflake. Here, we are speaking from the perspective of the larger climate, and this example is one of the ways in which God balances the relationships between all things. The second way is this: A range of mountains is covered in lush vegetation, with all kinds of plants carpeting the ground, and swaths of forest so dense that when you walk through them you cannot even see the sun above. But looking at another range of mountains, there is not even a single blade of grass growing, just layer upon layer of barren, desolate mountains. In outward appearance, both types are basically great piles of dirt stacked up to form mountains, but one is covered in dense forest, while the other is devoid of growth, without even a blade of grass. This is the second way that God balances the relationships between all things. The third way is this: Looking one way, you might see endless grasslands, a field of waving green. Looking the other way, you might see desert as far as the eye can see, without a single living thing amid the hissing wind-blown sand, much less any source of water. The fourth way is this: One direction is covered by the sea, a vast expanse of water, while in the other direction, you are hard-pressed to find even a single spring. The fifth way is this: In the land over here, drizzling rain is frequent and the climate is foggy and damp, while in the land over there, a fierce sun often hangs in the sky, and it is a rare event when even a single drop of rain falls. The sixth way is this: In one place there is a plateau where the air is thin and it is difficult for man to breathe, while in another place there are swamps and lowlands, which serve as habitats for various types of migratory birds. These are different types of climates, or they are climates or environments that correspond to different geographical environments. That is to say, God balances mankind’s basic environments for survival in terms of the large-scale environment, from the climate to the geographical environment, and from the different components of the soil to the number of water sources, all in order to achieve a balance in the air, temperature, and humidity of the environments that people survive in. Because of these contrasting geographical environments, mankind has stable air, and the temperature and humidity of the different seasons remain stable. This allows mankind to continue to live in that kind of environment for survival just as they always have. First, there’s the balance of the large-scale environment, which is done through the utilization of different geographical locations and formations as well as the changes between different climates. This allows them to limit and check each other in order to achieve the balance that God wants and that mankind requires. This is speaking from the perspective of the large-scale environment.

Now we will speak about the finer details, such as plants—how can they be brought into balance? That is to say, how can plants be enabled to continue to survive within a balanced environment for survival? The answer is, by controlling the lifespans, growth rates, and reproduction rates of various types of plants to safeguard their environment for survival. Let’s take grasses as an example—they sprout in spring, bloom in summer, and fruit in autumn. The fruits fall to the ground. The next year, the seeds sprout and continue according to the same laws. The lifespan of the grass is very short; every seed falls to the ground, grows roots and sprouts, blooms and produces fruit, and the entire process is complete after only three seasons—spring, summer, and fall. Trees of all kinds also have their own lifespans and different periods for sprouting and fruiting. Some trees die after just 30 to 50 years—this is their lifespan. But their fruit falls to the ground, and then grows roots and sprouts, flowers and bears fruit, and lives for another 30 to 50 years. This is their rate of recurrence. An old tree dies and a young tree grows; this is why you can always see trees growing in the forest. But they also have their normal cycle and their normal processes of birth and death. Some trees can live for over a thousand years, and some can even live for three thousand years. No matter what type of plant it is or how long its lifespan, generally speaking, God controls its balance based on how long it lives, its ability to reproduce, its rate and frequency of reproduction, and the amount of offspring it produces. This enables plants, from the grasses to the trees, to propagate endlessly and to grow within a balanced ecological environment. So when you look at a forest on earth, everything that grows within it, whether grass or tree, is continuously reproducing and growing according to their own laws. They do not need any additional labor or help from man. It is only because they have this kind of balance that they are able to maintain their own environment for survival. It is only because they have a suitable environment for survival that the world’s forests and grasslands are able to continue to exist on earth. Their existence nurtures generation after generation of people as well as generation after generation of all sorts of living things with habitats in the forests and the grasslands—birds and beasts, insects, and even all kinds of microorganisms.

God also governs the balance between all kinds of animals. How does He govern this balance? It is similar to plants—He controls their balance and determines their numbers based on their ability to reproduce, their quantity and frequency of reproduction, and the roles they play in the animal world. For example, lions eat zebras, so if the number of lions exceeded the number of zebras, what would the fate of the zebras be? They would become extinct. And if zebras produced far fewer offspring than the lions, what would their fate be? They would also become extinct. So, the number of zebras must be far greater than the number of lions. This is because zebras live not only for themselves, but also for the lions. You could also put it this way: Every zebra is one part of the entirety of zebras, but it is also food for lions. Lions’ rate of reproduction can never outstrip that of the zebras, so their numbers can never be greater than the zebras’ numbers. Only in this way can the lions’ food source be guaranteed. And so, even though lions are natural enemies of zebras, people frequently see the two species resting at leisure within the same area. Zebras will never be reduced in number or go extinct because of lions hunting and eating them, and lions will never increase the number of members in their pride because of their status as “king.” This balance is something that God established long ago. That is, God established laws of balance between all animals so that they can achieve this kind of balance, and this is something that people often see. Are lions the only natural enemies of zebras? No, crocodiles also eat zebras. Zebras seem to be a very helpless type of animal. They do not have the ferocity of lions, and when facing a lion, this formidable enemy, all they can do is run. They cannot even resist. When they cannot outrun the lion, they can only allow themselves to be devoured by it. This can be seen frequently in the animal world. What feelings and thoughts do you have when you see this kind of scene? Do you find the zebra to be pitiable? Do you find the lion to be detestable? The zebras look so beautiful! But the lions, they are always eyeing them greedily. And foolishly, the zebras do not run far. They see the lion there waiting for them in the cool shade under a tree. It could come and eat them at any moment. They know this in their hearts, but still they will not leave that piece of land. This is a wondrous thing, and within this wondrous thing there is God’s ordination and sovereignty. You find the zebra to be pitiable but you are unable to save it, and you find the lion to be detestable but you cannot destroy it. The zebra is food that God has prepared for the lion, but no matter how many the lions eat, the zebras will not be wiped out. The number of offspring that lions produce is very small, and they reproduce very slowly, so no matter how many zebras they eat, their numbers will never surpass those of the zebras. This is the balance.

What is God’s goal in maintaining this kind of balance? This also has to do with people’s environments for survival as well as the survival of mankind. If zebras, or any prey of lions—deer or other animals—reproduce too slowly and the number of lions sharply increases, what kind of danger would human beings face? Lions eating their prey is a normal phenomenon, but if a lion eats a person, that is a tragedy. This tragedy is not something preordained by God, it is not something that occurs under His sovereignty, much less something He brings upon mankind. Rather, it is something that people bring upon themselves. So as God sees it, the balance between all things is crucial for the survival of mankind. Whether it be plants or animals, nothing can lose its proper balance. Plants, animals, mountains, and lakes—God has prepared for mankind a regular ecological environment. Only when people have this kind of ecological environment—a balanced one—is their survival secure. If trees or grasses had a poor ability to reproduce or their rate of reproduction was very slow, would the soil not lose its moisture? If the soil lost its moisture, would it still be healthy? If the soil lost its vegetation and its moisture, it would erode very quickly, and sand would form in its place. When the soil deteriorated, people’s environment for survival would also be destroyed. Disasters are precisely what would accompany this destruction. Without this kind of ecological balance, without this type of ecological environment, people would frequently suffer from disasters due to imbalances between all things. For example, when there is an environmental imbalance leading to the destruction of frogs’ ecological environment, they all gather together, their numbers sharply increase, and people even see large numbers of frogs crossing the streets in cities. If large numbers of frogs occupied people’s environment for survival, what would that be called? A disaster. Why would it be called a disaster? These small animals that benefit mankind are beneficial for people when they remain in a place that is suitable for them; they can maintain the balance of people’s environment for survival. But if they become a disaster, they will impact the orderliness of people’s lives. All the things and all the elements that frogs bring along with them on their bodies can impact people’s quality of life. They can even cause a certain organ in people’s bodies to be attacked—this is one of the kinds of disasters. Another kind of disaster, which is something that humans have experienced frequently, is the appearance of great numbers of locusts. Is this not a disaster? Yes, it truly is a frightening disaster. Think about it, it does not matter how capable humans may be—people can make airplanes, cannons, and atomic bombs—when the locusts invade, does mankind have any solutions? Can they use cannons on them? Can they shoot them with machine guns? No, they cannot. Then can they spray pesticides to drive them out? That is no easy task, either. What do those tiny locusts come to do? They specifically eat crops and grains. Wherever locusts go, crops are completely obliterated! Therefore, in times of a locust invasion, all the food that farmers rely upon for an entire year could be entirely consumed by the locusts in the blink of an eye. For humans, the arrival of locusts is not only a nuisance—it is a disaster. So, we know that the appearance of great numbers of locusts is a type of disaster, but what about mice? If there are no birds of prey to eat mice, then they will multiply very rapidly, more rapidly than you can even imagine. And if mice spread unchecked, can humans lead good lives? What kind of situation would humans be confronted with? (An epidemic.) Just an epidemic? Mice will chew on anything, and they will even gnaw on wood. If there are just two mice in one house, they will be a nuisance to everyone who lives there. Sometimes they steal oil and eat it, and sometimes they eat grain. And the things that they do not eat, they also chew up and turn into a complete mess. They chew on clothing, shoes, furniture—they chew on everything. Sometimes they even climb into the cupboard—can those dishes still be used? Even if you do disinfect them, you still won’t be sure, so you have to throw them out. These are the annoyances that mice bring to people. Even dealing with these little mice is beyond people, and instead they just have to put up with their troublemaking. Just a single pair of mice is enough to cause a serious disturbance, let alone a great horde of them. If there were a plague of them, the consequences would be unthinkable. Even if there was a plague of ants, those tiny things, the damage they would do to mankind could also not be ignored. Ants can damage houses and even cause them to collapse. Their strength must not be overlooked. Would it not be frightening if there was a plague of birds? (Yes.) To put it another way, whenever animals or living things, no matter what kind they are, lose their balance, they will grow, reproduce, and live within an erratic scope, an irregular scope. That would bring unimaginable consequences to mankind. That would not only impact people’s survival and lives, but it would also bring disaster to mankind, even to the point of people suffering complete annihilation and the fate of perishing.

When God created all things, He used all sorts of methods and ways to balance them, to balance the living conditions of the mountains and lakes, of the plants and all kinds of animals, birds, and insects. His goal was to allow all kinds of living things to multiply and live under the laws that He had established. None of the things of creation can go outside of these laws, and the laws cannot be broken. Only within this type of basic environment can humans safely live on and multiply, generation after generation. If any living thing goes beyond the quantity or scope established by God, or if it exceeds the growth rate, reproduction frequency, or number dictated by His sovereignty, mankind’s environment for survival would suffer varying degrees of destruction. And at the same time, mankind’s survival would be threatened. If one type of living thing is too great in number, it will rob people of their food, destroy their water sources, and ruin their homelands. That way, mankind’s reproduction or state of survival would be immediately impacted. For example, water is very important for all things. If there are too many mice, ants, locusts, frogs, or any kind of other animal, they will drink more water. As the amount of water they drink increases, people’s drinking water and water sources within the fixed scope of sources of drinking water and bodies of water will be reduced and they will experience water shortages. If people’s drinking water is destroyed, contaminated, or is intercepted by all kinds of animals due to their increase in number, under that kind of harsh environment for survival, mankind’s survival will be seriously threatened. If one type or several types of living things exceed their appropriate number, then the air, temperature, humidity, and even the composition of the air within mankind’s space for survival will be poisoned and destroyed to varying degrees. In the same way, under these circumstances, humans’ survival and fate will also be subject to this kind of ecological threat. So, if these balances are lost, the air that people breathe will be ruined, their drinkable water will be contaminated, and the temperatures that they require will also change and be impacted to varying degrees. If that happens, the environments for survival that inherently belong to mankind will be subject to enormous impacts and challenges. In this type of scenario where humans’ basic environments for survival have been destroyed, what would mankind’s fate and prospects be? This is a very serious problem! God knows for what reason each of the things of creation exists for the sake of mankind, what the role is of every type of thing that He created, what kind of impact each thing has on mankind, and to what degree it benefits mankind—God has plotted all this out in His heart and controls every single aspect of all the things that He created. That is why every single thing that He does is so important and necessary for mankind. So from now on, whenever you observe some ecological phenomenon among the things of God’s creation, or some natural law at play among the things of God’s creation, you will no longer be doubtful of the necessity of God creating every single thing. You will no longer use ignorant words to make arbitrary judgments on God’s arrangements of all things and His various ways of providing for mankind. Nor will you come to arbitrary conclusions about God’s laws for all the things of His creation. Is this not the case?

What is all of this that we have just been talking about? Think about it for a moment. God has His own intention in every single thing that He does. Even though His intention is inscrutable to humans, it is always inextricably and powerfully related to mankind’s survival. It is not something dispensable. This is because God has never done anything that is futile. The laws and principles of every single thing He does contain His planning and wisdom. The goal and intention behind that plan are for the protection of mankind, to help mankind avert disaster, attacks from any type of living thing, and any kind of harm to humans caused by any of the things of God’s creation. So could it be said that the deeds of God which we have seen within this topic constitute another way in which God provides for all mankind? Could we say that, in this way, God is feeding and shepherding all mankind? (Yes.) Is there a strong relationship between this topic and the theme of our fellowship: “God Is the Source of Life for All Things”? (Yes.) There is a very strong relationship, and this topic is one aspect of that. Before talking about these topics, people only had some nebulous imaginings of God, of God Himself and His deeds—they lacked true understanding. However, when people are told about His deeds and the things He has done, the principles of what God does are comprehensible and understandable to them, and within their reach. Even though in God’s heart there are very complicated laws, principles, and rules for anything and everything He does, like creating and holding sovereignty over all things, if we simply take a single part and fellowship on it, getting you to understand it, is it not possible for you to sense in your hearts that these are God’s deeds and that they are practical? (Yes.) Then how is your current understanding of God different from before? It is different in its substance. Before, your understanding was too hollow, too nebulous, but now your understanding contains a great deal of concrete evidence to match God’s deeds, to match what God has and is. Therefore, all that I have said is wonderful educational material for your understanding of God.

February 9, 2014