We sang the words of Psalm 24: “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it the world and all who dwell therein!” From the earth’s molten core to its highest stratosphere, it is the Lord’s. From her subterranean caves to her mountain summits; it is the Lord’s. From her polar ice caps to her red hot lava; it is the Lord’s. It is God who put diamonds, gold, and silver into the crevices of rock. It is God who stockpiled oil, coal, and natural gas into her subterranean coffers. It is God who set the sun in its place to bathe our spherical home with energy and light. “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.” It is the Lord who gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater. It is the Lord who provides house and home. It is the Lord who opens doors to employment. It is the Lord who brings families together. It is the Lord who makes a friend stick closer than a sister or brother.
When we receive a birthday present—when our paycheck is deposited into our account—when our child is born—when we sit down to eat a meal, we receive everything as a gift from God. “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.” As Psalm 145 (v. 16) says, “You open up your hand, O Lord, you satisfy the desire of every living thing.” As James says in his letter, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (1:17).
“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world and all who dwell therein!” The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and land creatures are the Lord’s. Young children, the mature, you, and I are the Lord’s. All humanity is the Lord’s. At first, it may seem overstated. But God is Creator and sustainer of the universe. Scripture says in Romans 11:36: “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” And so Psalmist praises God, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well” (Ps 139:13,14).
It might seem like God has laid claim to everything in order to put us in our rightful place—to rob us of our stuff—or deny us the enjoyment of our things. But that isn’t the point at all. Our text says, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world and all who dwell therein!” But it also includes the refrain we sang, “They shall receive a blessing from the LORD and a just reward from the God of their salvation.” God is not just divine Owner of everything in the universe. He is divine Giver. He has everything but he also gives it all away. “We shall receive a blessing from the God of our salvation.” He gives blessings. He gives us his stuff—his things. As Luther says in the Catechism, “I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, spouse and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.” He gives us all these things. But they are all stuff on loan. They may be in our possession now, but we cannot pack them into our suitcases and take them to our eternal home. There is no carry on luggage allowed on our journey to heaven.
The people God brings into our lives will no doubt bless us into eternity—our fellowship as Christians will never come to an end. Relationships are eternal. And because the things we enjoy are evidence that God cares for us, we should be as generous and as caring with our stuff as he is. We should view money, things, and relationships all as part of God’s activity to love and support human lives. God uses our stewardship to provide for others. He uses our stuff as a means to his ends.
He not only wants us to love and support us through this life. He wants to love and support us into eternity. And so he gives us his most cherished and valuable possession—his Son, Jesus Christ. This gift is not a loaner. He has given the eternal Son of God in his birth in Bethlehem and the incarnation. He has given himself in his teaching, healing, and revealing the Kingdom of Heaven. He has blessed us by enduring the crucifixion and triumphing over the grave. He is our greatest treasured possession. We are in Christ. And he is in us. He has not only given his Son as the greatest gift. He has also made us his own at an even deeper level.
Scripture asks, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” (1 Cor 6:19,20). He purchased us with his life and blood. We are his treasured possession. He has adopted us in our baptism—sealing the transaction with water, Word, and Holy Spirit. We are brought into God’s family by the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are his. He is ours. And together we give, we draw people in, and we look forward to a bright and blessed future together in his eternal care.
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