Friday Nurturing Content - 04/26/24

Happy Friday, Friend!

As we wrap up the month of April and close out our theme of Creation Stewardship, let’s take a moment to reflect on Scripture once more.

Psalm 24 is titled “The King of Glory” and, in it, David reminds us what it means to acknowledge God as our Creator, submit the entirety of our lives to Him, and worship Him wholeheartedly.

“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.

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?

And who shall stand in his holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

who does not lift up his soul to what is false

and does not swear deceitfully.

He will receive blessing from the Lord

and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Such is the generation of those who seek him,

who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Lift up your heads, O gates!

And be lifted up, O ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

The Lord, strong and mighty,

the Lord, mighty in battle!

Lift up your heads, O gates!

And lift them up, O ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

The Lord of hosts,

he is the King of glory!”

Psalm 24 is a majestic anthem of devotion and reverence to God. Throughout it's verses, it proclaims God’s sovereignty by calling Him the King of glory. Glory means that God is worthy of our praise. This isn’t just through music and worship. It’s through our lives; our very existence and the breath in our lungs. Glory also means that all creation bows before Him because He is second to none!

The psalm opens by declaring that the entire earth is God’s, including everything in it. We are mere stewards of this earth; of what belongs to God.

Paul David Tripp puts it best in the following quote from a related blog post:

“God owns everything. I don’t own my mentality, I don’t own my psychology, I don’t own my emotionality, I don’t own my personality, I don’t own my relationships, I don’t own all the things that I think that I own. It all belongs to the Lord. And so, if you believe in God, you don’t live with an ownership mentality, as if your life and your things belong to you, and you can use them however you want. No, you have to live with a stewardship mentality, this belongs to God, and how does God intend for me to use what he’s made? Everything belongs to God. Human ownership is a delusion.”

So, if we are stewards of our possessions and the resources we have, then we do not need to worry about our material wealth, our physical health, or our status in this world. So often we try to do God’s job. I know I’ve been guilty of this. We put the weight of the world on our shoulders, thinking it’s our job to solve all of life’s problems. But, that is our Creator’s job, no?

Our primary job is to worship and glorify Him. And, to use the resources given to us in a way that also glorifies His name and brings a little bit of God’s Kingdom here on earth. Scripture is clear that we will not live a worry- and stress-free life. But is also clear about who the victor is in the end. Hint: God defeats Satan and evil.

We can rest in this truth and trust in Him through all of the ups and downs of this life. And we can continue on stewarding the gifts, talents, and wonderful resources that He has graciously given to us.

I want to close out with three questions for some personal reflection:

1. In what areas of your life is it easier to believe that God owns everything? In what areas of your life is it more difficult for you to believe that God owns every part of you? Write a list for both and some reasons why this is the case.

2. In what areas of your life have you failed to ask the question, “What is God’s purpose for this?” List some ways that you can be more intentional about putting that question on the forefront of your mind as you walk through the next week.

3. What might it look like to be a steward of God’s world in the next week? Give some specific examples.

Dedicated to your success,

Tam

P.S. Here’s a sneak peek to our upcoming May theme: Sowing Seeds of Faith!