By now, many of us have eaten our fill of the fresh blueberries available in great bounty this summer, and have feasted on the fruit hanging heavily on the blackberry bushes around town. Throughout the summer, we have also enjoyed a wide variety of fresh vegetables, and look forward to more in the fall.
Every year again, plants grow to produce an abundance of different food for our enjoyment. Like a pre-schooler, I find myself asking, “But how does this all work? Why does any one plant, bush or tree produce the fruit or vegetable that it does?” Wikipedia provides an evolutionary explanation, promoting the theory that plants evolved in different ways over millions of years, until we have the fruit and vegetable-bearing plants that we enjoy today. That’s a tough sell for me, and raises more “But how?” questions than it answers. The Bible, in Genesis 1:11, provides the simple truth and explanation
God said: ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.’ And it was so.
Genesis 1:11 (NIV)
Then, in Genesis 1:29, God gives these plants and fruit to mankind for food, and ever since, we have been able to enjoy them season after season.
So, as you enjoy the late summer and fall harvest, give thanks to the generous God who made it all!