Whose Land Is It?
Leviticus 25:23 (CEB)
No land may be permanently bought or sold. It all belongs to me – it isn’t your land, and you only live there for a little while.
In The Message, the verse ends by saying “you are my tenants”. This helped me clarify my thoughts.
The earth is the Lord’s. How many times have we heard this, said this, even memorized a similar verse. The trickier part is believing and acting accordingly. In the verse we share today, we are reminded that it all, the land – the earth, belongs to Him. We rarely acknowledge this truth. We can state that we paid for it, we tend it and even insure it. Most neighborhoods have houses and lots with fences marking someone’s territory, guarding boundaries with the subtle message “that it is mine, all mine”. You read of “turf wars” where one neighbor dares to mow or landscape just over the line or too close. Disagreements and angry actions become evident and “mine, mine, mine” becomes the focus. The hateful actions seem much like a two-year-old child grasping and claiming a toy. How different it would be if we remember that no land permanently belongs to us. We are only on this earth for a short while.
You can consider us God’s guests on this planet The earth has been entrusted to us. We are stewards of His land. He has a purpose for us and for how we use His land. We have a real responsibility to do everything in our power, using our best judgement to follow and obey the owner’s will for His earth and our lives.
Think about it…. Where do you live right now? Whether a homeowner or one who rents, how many previous owners and tenants were there? Some of us may live on family property occupied by family members for generations. Others may be living in a temporary residence or even the first to live in a newly constructed home. Regardless, it is likely someone else owned the land, house or residence before. Certainly, none of us will be the final residents on the land we now claim.
Our job, our purpose is to use the land as God would want. Cultivating, protecting, nurturing and sharing the resources entrusted to us. Realistically though, it’s not just about the land, it’s also about God’s children. We are only here for a brief time. On this journey we must find our purpose and be good stewards of our lives, our relationships and the world we share. Whatever we have belongs not to us but belongs to God and came from God. He walks with us on this journey as we share His love for creation. We live on His earth. The land is not ours, but God’s.
Let us pray.
Loving God, may we look upon your creation, your earth with new eyes this day. May we see your earth and hear your call to tend the land, our lives, our thoughts and our relationships with your purpose in mind. May we be comforted and strengthened knowing that you are always with us as we go through life. We thank you for the gifts you share. We humbly pray in your name, Creator God….. Amen.
This devotional was written and read by Lisa Blackwood
Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.
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First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.
