Climate change and another good reason to "fear not"

In my book, A Very Convenient Truth (or, Jesus Told Us There'd Be Days Like These, So Stop Worrying About the Planet and Get With His Program!), I argue that the changes our environment is going through are all part of God's grand plan. Furthermore, that He's told us what He's going to do and that we're not to be afraid.

The fact that fear is so much a part of the climate change discussion should be a tipoff that Satan is trying to turn our attention away from God and what He has told us to do. We're made to be afraid of rising ocean levels and declining water supplies; of drought and famine; of extinction of species. But the Word of God tells us that's all going to happen but in the end, God and His People triumph. So rather than fear these things and try to "stop" them (as if), we need to live and work with them and re-focus on the assignment God has given us -- to spread the Gospel to as many people as possible and bring them into the Kingdom.

(We also need to re-focus on the First Great Assignment -- to be fruitful and multiply, have dominion over the earth, replenish it and subdue it (Genesis 1:26, 28), repent for the role we as humans have played in damaging Creation and re-think our actions towards it. Accepting that God is at work does not mean rolling over and waiting for the Rapture to come, but taking the right action according to His Word.)

In my studying this morning, I came across a key passage that not only reinforces these points, but is intended to calm any fears we have about the changes we see.

For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create ....
-- Isaiah 65:17-18

In other words, God says, "I'm re-building everything so that you won't even remember what the old heavens and earth looked like; trust Me: you'll love it!"

It is reassuring, isn't it? Remember that moves of God are invariably preceded with or accompanied by the words "fear not". That's because, when God moves, it is so stomach-looseningly awesome that it's scary. Satan's constant task is to prevent us from looking beyond the fear factor. As children of God, our constant assignment is to do just that and look for God At Work: when we do, He always shows us, and we always rejoice.