believing that the earth is the Lord's

The earth is the LORD'S and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
Psalm 24:1-2

As I have lived upon this earth I know that is has kept me alive because God has made it to do so. The planet may be in the stewardship of humanity but it belongs to the Lord. He created it and all that is upon it. He blessed us with the abundant resources of this world so that those who dwell upon it may thrive here. And more than seven billion people on this globe are definitely creating a thriving mass of humanity.

The hand of God made the first of us, and the word of God brought the universe into being. Even as God framed us of this dusty earth, He give it over to us, first in His garden and then the entire planet. But He is the Creator and the Sustainer of our lives. In the wisdom of His ways He made this world to sustain us.

But sustaining humanity does come at a price in our times. We should be good and wise stewards. We should do this out of worship of the God Who made it all. I think that environmental concerns framed around honoring our Creator should come out of the knowledge this passage reminds us of in our stewardship of resources. The earth is God's. The people who dwell upon it belong to Him. The resources that sustain all human endeavor were made by God, ultimately all of it for His glory!