Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;”
There are many contestable matters that arise when attempting to determine what a Godly relationship with creation might look like. However, I believe there are also a few concepts that are foundational and difficult to contest. One of these I believe is that that “the earth is the Lord's and everything in it...” (Psalm 24:1, 1 Cor 10:26).
If you believe God created the earth, I don’t think it’s a stretch to believe that He was in possession of it at that time. God was not an artist for hire, creating something that ultimately was owned by someone else when it was completed. God owned His creation. However, what God chose to do with that ownership afterwards might be contested. Some may believe that ultimate ownership was turned over to mankind. Others might believe that it was turned over to Satan, at least for a time.
The idea of ownership I believe is an important one, which could drastically change a person’s worldview in regards to their role on this earth. I recently read about an individual that claimed ownership of creation. In Ezekiel 29:3-4, God said that Pharaoh in Egypt had boasted “the Nile is mine; I made it for myself”. That statement certainly showed no level of perceived accountability. Then in Exodus 9:29, God declared that the devastating plagues of Egypt were given “so you may know that the earth is the Lords”. I think Pharaoh might have been mistaken.
If God still retains complete ownership of His creation, it only makes sense to me that our roles by default do not rise above that of manager or steward. It makes sense to me that there is inherent accountability and responsibility for those that use and benefit from it. It also makes sense to me that the broad instructions guiding our hearts and actions out of love for God and love for our neighbors can be applied to our roles in creation as well. I don’t think these are too bold of statements. However, what do you think?
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Be Still - Psalm 46:10
Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
Mark 4:39-40 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith.”
Naturalists are an unusual sort in our modern day mile-a-minute society. It’s uncommon to disregard time and accomplishment, if even for a moment. It is also unusual to patiently observe and become absorbed in your surroundings, particularly if those surroundings are not man-made. However, these qualities are trademarks of many naturalist activities. Birding is a classic example. The birder stands motionless for long periods, looking out and up, soaking in every sound and movement. The birder waits patiently for the opportunity to hear or see an excitingly novel or comfortingly familiar species that is responding to its environment in some unique way, in order to understand how it survives and fits into the world.
I’ve been pondering the virtues associated with ability to slow down, observe and gain perspective. The bible includes several instances where God tells mankind or creation in general to “be still”. Psalm 46:10 and Mark 4:39 are two of these instances. In Psalm 46:10, there are actually two commands. The first is “be still” and the second is “know that I am God”. I think these two commands support each other. Constant reminders are often necessary for us to pause and recognize that that God is all powerful and in control. It is exceedingly easy for humans to focus on the busyness and chaos of daily life, loose focus, and respond in worry. I think the story told in Mark 4 expresses something very similar. It starts with Jesus sleeping in a boat navigated by the disciples on quiet waters. Could you imagine anything more tranquil? However, they suddenly encounter a storm which threatens to sink the boat and the disciples become anything but still. They freak. Jesus in Mark 4:39 commands the storm to “be still”, and then he reprimands them for their worry. The chaos of the storm, like the chaos we encounter in our busy daily lives, caused them to quickly focus on themselves and lose sight God, even as he was right next to them. I must admit I do the same thing at some point nearly every day.
The lesson that I see in this is that it’s important to choose to place value on physically slowing down for the purpose of calming your soul, observing your surroundings, and gaining perspective on who God is and what He is doing on a regular basis. This would likely come at the expense of other things, so it certainly would not be easy. However, can we afford to not take time to ignore time, to be still and discover what God is doing so that we can act accordingly?
Mark 4:39-40 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith.”
Naturalists are an unusual sort in our modern day mile-a-minute society. It’s uncommon to disregard time and accomplishment, if even for a moment. It is also unusual to patiently observe and become absorbed in your surroundings, particularly if those surroundings are not man-made. However, these qualities are trademarks of many naturalist activities. Birding is a classic example. The birder stands motionless for long periods, looking out and up, soaking in every sound and movement. The birder waits patiently for the opportunity to hear or see an excitingly novel or comfortingly familiar species that is responding to its environment in some unique way, in order to understand how it survives and fits into the world.
I’ve been pondering the virtues associated with ability to slow down, observe and gain perspective. The bible includes several instances where God tells mankind or creation in general to “be still”. Psalm 46:10 and Mark 4:39 are two of these instances. In Psalm 46:10, there are actually two commands. The first is “be still” and the second is “know that I am God”. I think these two commands support each other. Constant reminders are often necessary for us to pause and recognize that that God is all powerful and in control. It is exceedingly easy for humans to focus on the busyness and chaos of daily life, loose focus, and respond in worry. I think the story told in Mark 4 expresses something very similar. It starts with Jesus sleeping in a boat navigated by the disciples on quiet waters. Could you imagine anything more tranquil? However, they suddenly encounter a storm which threatens to sink the boat and the disciples become anything but still. They freak. Jesus in Mark 4:39 commands the storm to “be still”, and then he reprimands them for their worry. The chaos of the storm, like the chaos we encounter in our busy daily lives, caused them to quickly focus on themselves and lose sight God, even as he was right next to them. I must admit I do the same thing at some point nearly every day.
The lesson that I see in this is that it’s important to choose to place value on physically slowing down for the purpose of calming your soul, observing your surroundings, and gaining perspective on who God is and what He is doing on a regular basis. This would likely come at the expense of other things, so it certainly would not be easy. However, can we afford to not take time to ignore time, to be still and discover what God is doing so that we can act accordingly?
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