“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers.”
Psalm 24:1-2 NRSV
These words are attributed to King David. David was the most renowned king of ancient Israel and without question the most powerful of the kings that ruled God’s people. As king, David enjoyed many of the pleasures of luxury and excess and there was no one higher in power than God Himself. These words reflect the heart of a man who knows his life is dependent upon the God who created him. Power pollutes most people but David displays a sense of loyalty to God in his acknowledgement that God is in charge.
How well we see the world depends on how much we see God’s rule in the world. Scripture says the world and everything in it and all who have ever lived in it belong to God. That includes you. You are valuable to God; the value you have to God is one so great that though He was never in debt He paid it all just for a chance for you and He to spend eternity together. To belong to someone can be risky— relationships are riddled with lies, betrayal, abuse, and the like. Being connected to certain people can be detrimental but our belonging to God is not so. To belong to God is to be cared for intimately, to be seen and welcomed in light of the flaws and inconsistencies. Belonging to God is to be protected. This does not mean bad things will not happen, but when they do happen you are coveted.
This world is filled with chaos and ugliness. The evil people do to each other and even to themselves is a testament to that. Even in this there is hope: God always brings order out of chaos. Our responsibility is to create the space for God to fill. Our responsibility to make the world look the way God seesit. This involves us fulfilling our part as followers of Jesus. We have a responsibility to counter the evil we see with good, to substitute spreading gossip with spreading the gospel, to pray for others instead of bad mouthing them. We have a duty to be different, to see the world differently. Why? Our God has not given His throne to anyone else, this world is still His. I pray that today we would see the world as God does and that we would also see ourselves and others in the same way. If we saw everyone as belonging to God how would that change how we treat others? No matter what you read or see on the news, the gossip you may hear about others (or even yourself), and in light of your greatest fears, trust that God is still in control and He has not abandoned us.
Until next time, continue to stay guided by grace,
Tra
Guided by Grace 