TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. (Luke 12:6 ESV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• Last night, my husband and I had a hard conversation about our cat, Vivien Leigh. She’s 16. She’s dropping weight and she’s stopped grooming herself. I try to brush her, but she has never liked being brushed. Even less so now, when her natural grumpiness is higher than normal. My girl could out-grumpy Grumpy Cat any day. In fact, it’s not even grumpiness… She is just downright mean. Her disposition, even at her best, has led my son to nickname her Satan’s cat. Still, despite her many negative qualities, I love her and dread what I know is coming.
In the course of the conversation, we talked about pets. Does God let them go to heaven? I don’t know… but I feel like maybe He does.
For one thing, in Genesis 1:30, it says, “And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And then, in Genesis 2:7, He created man. It says, “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”
In both cases, people and animals are noted for having the “breath of life.” This phrase is used in several other places, but the important difference is that only man was made in God’s own image.
From the very beginning, God entrusted the care of animals to mankind (Genesis 1:26) and in Proverbs 12:10, it’s noted that the righteous care for the lives of their animals.
Let’s also consider that Jesus said, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God” (Luke 12:6 ESV). While mankind is more important than animals, they are a part of God’s creation which He deemed good and Jesus emphasizes His care over every living thing.
In both Isaiah and Revelation, the Bible speaks of animals being a part of the millennial kingdom (Isaiah 11:6-9, 65:25, Revelation 5:13, 19:11).
So with all that said, why wouldn’t God allow animals to be a part of heaven?
Again, I don’t have a definitive answer. But Billy Graham once said, “God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he’ll be there.”
I love that.
Today, as you pray, thank God for the breath of life that He gave to us and all living things. Thank Him for the pets He’s entrusted us to care for. If you have pets, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and help you provide for them.
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