The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, is being held in Glasgow. For nearly three decades the UN has been bringing together almost every country on earth for global climate summits. COP26 brings together world leaders from more than 100 countries in what is regarded as humanity’s last and best chance to secure a liveable future amid dramatic climate change. At COP 21, held in Paris in 2015, every country represented agreed to work together to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Each country committed to draw up a national plan and to meet every 5 years to review progress. The aim was to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of both the present generation and future generations.

Sadly, there is unlikely to be any reference in the discussions in Glasgow to God or prayer to him giving thanks to him for the wonderful world in which we all live and asking for his wisdom. Most of the developed world is in the grip of godless secularism. The relentless pursuit of material prosperity is the main priority for most political leaders. This keeps people happy and, if they live in a democratic country, ensures their re-election. In 1992 Bill Clinton’s successful Presidential campaign adopted the catchphrase, “It’s the economy stupid!”

We are living in God’s world. It doesn’t belong to us, it belongs to him, and we are stewards of his creation. The opening words of the Bible majestically declare, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Each of God’s sovereign creating actions is introduced with the words “And God said, ‘Let there be …’” The conclusion is, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” God created mankind in his own image and blessed them saying, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Through Jesus God the Creator can be known as our heavenly Father whom we joyfully worship and trust. A well-known song says, “This is my Father’s world and to my listening ears all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres. This is my Father’s world, O, let me never forget that though the wrong seems oft so strong God is the ruler yet. This is my Father’s world why should my heart be sad? The Lord is king, let the heavens ring, God reigns, let the earth be glad.”