Have you noticed that the world is a big place? I live in Melbourne, Australia. If I want to travel north to Sydney by car, it will take me at least 9 hours (and that is without pit stops). That is only one example that reveals the size of the Australian continent. Consider the vast range of terrain and resources in the North and South American continents. Travel across the oceans and then discover the huge space of the African, Asian, and European continents. Of course, there is also the earth’s southernmost continent Antarctica. The world is a big place right?
After taking time to allow this to sink in, consider the words spoken by King David, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). This is an amazing statement. Why is the earth the Lord’s and what are the implications? I will answer those two questions in two posts. For now, let us briefly consider the first.
Why is the Earth the Lord’s?
Firstly, He is the Source of all things. All things exist because He is the Creator. The opening words of the Scriptures say, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). The earth is the Lord’s because He made it.
Secondly, He is the Sustainer of all things. All things work and function because He makes them work. The function and operation of the world is complex. Just consider the growth of plants and trees. All these things work and are sustained by God. We read, “And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You” (Nehemiah 9:6b). The earth is the Lord’s because He sustains it.
Thirdly, God is the Sovereign of all things. The psalmist proclaimed, “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3). He is the all-powerful ruler of the universe. As the Sovereign over creation, this means He looks after the stability of the physical universe (Ps. 119:89-91), the circumstances of nations within the world (Acts 17:26) and the length of human life (Job 14:5). He is the ruler over all things.
This is why David rightly declared, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof“. What does this mean for us? And what does this require of us? These questions will be answered in our next post. For now, take time to acknowledge that this world belongs to the Lord God Almighty. In the words of the hymn writer,
“This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet“.
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