Psalm 24:1-2
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
The world and all its people belong to him.
For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas
and built it on the ocean depths.
God owns it all. We may not take this truth into account as often as we should when we make important life decisions or as we take stock of our financial worth, but it is an undeniable, Biblical fact that the whole world and everything in it belongs to the God who created it all. People like to think otherwise. We take pride in the things we accumulate, and we revere those who amass great wealth, especially people who own large, valuable pieces of property. We call them tycoons or moguls, and maybe we aspire to build our own little kingdom of real estate holdings and material wealth. Such ambitions are not necessarily wrong. It’s fine to acquire things and to invest money. Our economic system rewards wise investments and property ownership, and that’s okay. But never forget who really owns it all.
David started life with very little, and he grew through God’s blessing to have great wealth and power. It would have been easy for David’s success to foster pride in his heart, and perhaps he wrote these words to remind himself not to hold onto anything too tightly. The truth is, wealth is an illusion. None of what we build, achieve or acquire will last beyond this life, and even now, it all belongs to God. So, don’t despair over what you don’t have, and don’t be prideful about what you do have. God’s economy works very differently than the world’s, and we should be grateful that it does. When you face need, remember that our kind and generous God still owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10). At the same time, when your wealth could be used as a blessing for others, don’t hold back your generosity, remembering that anything you give to those in need belongs first to God.
These verses also point us to the wonderful truth that God’s world is good. He created it according to his perfect design and declared it good from the very beginning (Genesis 1). Yes, there is brokenness and suffering in the world, and yes, we contribute to the mess. But this world is still God’s and it’s still good because He made it. God asks us to care for his world so that we and future generations will have a good, beautiful place to live and serve God. Not only is the land, sea and sky good, so also are the people who live in God’s world. We belong to him, and so does everyone else. God loves the people of this world so much that He sent his Son to offer salvation to each one of us. Now, we who have found new life in Jesus join in the great work of sharing that good news with the whole world.
Father, this world and my life belong to You. Thank You for Your good creation and for Your steadfast love for all people. Teach me to be generous with the things You give me, and help me to care for Your world and the people in it, for Your glory and in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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Pastor Mike Mirakian
