–By Thomas Smith
“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Psalm 24:1
What a fabulous verse this is! It resounds majestically with the glory of God. What a powerful and mighty God we serve! Everything about the earth and all those who occupy it belong to Him.
This Bible text declares many wonderful truths about God. For instance, it proclaims the total and complete sovereignty of God. The earth is His creation. The earth did not just occur, and it did not evolve. God made everything that is made. He is the great Architect of the universe, and He created it from nothing with magnificent design and purpose.
He sustains His creation with the power of His might. He is the ruler of the entire world. There is no power of any kind, in any place, that is above Him. He rules over nations, leaders, individuals, and circumstances as well. Everything belongs to Him. The earth and all that it contains is His. Because this is true, He deserves all the glory and praise for the work of His hands.
Man is not to worship the creation, only the Creator. There are so many deceived people who worship the environment, or the things God has made, and do not give glory to the only deserving One. To refer to “Mother Earth” in a worshipful way and disregard the ruler of the earth is a form of idolatry. God has given us His earth to enjoy. What a gift this great creation is! As Christians, we should have a special appreciation for the earth that we live in. The beautiful birds, the animals, plant life, stars, mountains and rivers are sources of great pleasure in our lives. As the song goes, “This is my Father’s world, And to my list’ning ears, All nature sings, and round me rings The music of the spheres. This is my Father’s world, The birds their carols raise; The morning light, the lily white Declare their Maker’s praise.”
Our responsibility is to be faithful stewards of the part of God’s world for which He has made us responsible. He owns the world and all that it contains. That includes the things we sometimes consider our “own”. The house we live in, the cars we drive, the money we earn and spend, and the family we love, all belong to the Lord. In fact, our very lives only exist because of Him. We are not owners, only stewards. God has allowed us to use and manage these things that belong to Him, and one day we will be required to give an account of our stewardship.
SHARING
