Caretakers of Earth

Psalm 8:6-8, “You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.”

How are we doing with our dominion? In one sense you’d have to say we are doing well—we plant gardens, we tame our yards (though the more I read about that, the less I am convinced that is a good thing); humanity has written poems, painted beautiful pictures, sculpted art, created incredible buildings, composed symphonies; we fly across the world, communicate face to face thousands of miles apart, a while back an astronaut recently called in to the chapel service at SBTS from outer space; we’ve even walked on the moon…we have done well in some areas, but we would have to admit that while we produce we also pollute, while we heal we also harm, and while we educate we often exterminate…the same people who build…bomb…but if we were honest we’d have to admit that while we have made significant progress in our task of dominion over the creation there is one major area we have failed miserably, we have not taken dominion over ourselves.

We have the Spirit and yet we still walk in the flesh; we were saved and yet we are still prone to wander; we have the Word of God—His self-revelation and yet we are still ignorant of Him in all of His majesty and glory.

Can we dare settle for so little holiness when the Creator of all is mindful of us and cares for us? Can we look at the One who set the moon and the stars into place and know that He indwells us and be content living defeated lives? Can we know that He made us in His image and accept the fact that so much of our lives bear the image of the world?

Look to the One who cares for you…the majestic One, the glorious One, and know that as 2 Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” You are the crown of His creation—He made you and then bought you back—He cares for you—so much so that He poured out the wrath you deserved upon His Son so that you might be righteous…He took the image that was tarnished by sin and made atonement so that you could live with Him glorified in His glory. What a God! What a life that He has set before us!! O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! May we make that name known in our hearts, in our city, and in our world!