Nature was Created by & Belongs to God.
Man is only the Caretaker.

The heavens are the work of His fingers; He set in place the moon and the stars. He made man ruler over the works of His hands, He put everything under mans feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
(Psalm 8)
Every animal of the forest is His, and the cattle on a thousand hills. He knows every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are His
(Psalm 50).
He formed the mountains by His power. He cares for the land and waters it; He enriches it abundantly. The streams of God are filed with water to provide the people with grain, for so He has ordained it. He drenches its furrows and levels its ridges; He softens it with showers and blesses its crops. He crowns the year with bounty, and carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.
(Psalm 65)
He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the air nest by the waters: they sing among the branches. The earth is satisfied by the fruit of His work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate-bringing forth food from the earth. The trees of the LORD are well watered. The birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees. The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the coneys. The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. He bring darkness, it becomes night and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening. In wisdom He made them all; the earth is full of His creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number-living things both large and small. These all look to Him to give them their food at the proper time.
(Psalm 104)

Nature Balances Itself

Water and earth balance each other.
Consider the relationship of the earth to the water, and the water to the earth. There would be no place for the waters to flow with out the earth as a foundation. The flowing action of the water causes the earth to shift and change, growing into a new appearance with new patterns of energy. Earth without water would be dry and arid. Water without earth would be a formless ball of water floating in space. Together they provide oceans and shores, mighty rivers and mountains, gentle streams and forests, and lakes surrounded by trees and meadows.

Earth and air are opposites in many ways.
Air is always in motion, but earth is relatively stable. Earth catches the air in caves and tunnels directing the air's flow, and winds blow changing the shape of the earth. Winds would have no direction or purpose without the earth. The earth and wind must work together for life to thrive. Air carries the seeds and pollinates the flowers, while earth nurtures them so they can grow and spread.

Fire is at the core of the earth.
Without this core of energy, the earth would not support life. Without the fire/light of the sun, the earth would not support life. Fire cannot exist without the materials supplied by the earth upon which it feeds. The earth needs the warmth of fire for growth.

Fire and water control each other.
Water can quench a fire preventing a small cinder from becoming a blazing inferno. Fire heats the water causing it to evaporate into the air.

Air and water help each other in many ways.
Air blows on the water causing it to move and not stagnate. Water brings moisture to the air so that rain can form and bring water to the earth.

Fire and air complement each other.
Without fire and the sun, the air would be cold. Without air, fire cannot burn.

When all is in balance, life continues and thrives.
When that balance is upset, disaster occurs. Water out of control causes tidal waves and flooding. Earth out of control is shown in landslides and earthquakes. Air out of control manifests in tornadoes and hurricanes. And fire out of control destroys life in a blazing inferno.

We Must Learn to Walk With & Respect Nature

The forces of nature must balance each other so that life may continue. So must we learn to walk in balance with the forces of nature or suffer from the imbalance we have caused.

Mankind has not been walking in balance with nature. Mankind has depleted the forests that prevented water from excessively eroding the earth. Mankind has destroyed the habitats of many creatures causing their extinction. Mankind has polluted the air and the waters so that they cause death rather than give life. Mankind has been careless and has allowed fire to grow out of control causing forest fires and destruction of life and property.
As the old song asked "When we they ever learn?"

The ancient peoples knew the value of living in balance with nature; we must relearn their wisdom. We must pass this wisdom on to our children and grandchildren before Mankind destroys that which provides life thereby destroying Mankind as well.

"We do not own the earth, we borrow it from our children."

We, and our children, are but caretakers of the earth for the Creator. We must ask the Great Spirit for wisdom and guidance to learn how to walk in balance with all creation.