The earth is the Lord's

Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein." This Scripture has become quite the living word to me. The world really just isn't that big of a place when it comes right down to it. You can get anywhere you want to go in the world in just a matter of hours. There are so many things that are universal--from smiles to pain.

I am now in Cambodia, and I love it. It feels as much like home as any other place I have ever been. As strange as it may seem, any time I have ever left the USA to go to another country, I have never felt that I was somewhere foreign. The food may be different. The language may be different (and I may not understand a word of it). The people may look slightly different. The streets and traffic may look different. I have come to look at myself as a global citizen rather than a US citizen. It is not that I am anti-American, but it is rather that I am pro-God's Kingdom. Because really, the earth is the Lord's. And, as God's child I want to bring other people into His Kingdom regardless of what their passports or birth certificates say. The only citizenship that really matters in the end is being a citizen of heaven. God holds the entire world in His hands. He knows every person that has lived, is living, and will live on the face of the planet. Even though I only occupy a tiny corner of the world on a microscopic dot within the continuum of eternity, I don't want to limit myself in the ways I can expand God's Kingdom.

I have been asked countless times over the last several weeks where I am from (country, state, town, etc.). This has forced me to think about my place in the world--where I came from and where I am going. Who would have thought that a girl from a small farming community in Indiana would be traveling to the other side of the world to actively fight against sex slavery in a country that is fighting to battle back from years of war and genocide? How are these kind of connections made? Quite simply the answer is God. God orchestrates our lives to bring fullness to His world and His Kingdom if only we listen and are obedient to His call. So often I think we doubt God's calling to us because it doesn't make logical sense or He seems to be calling us to do something that we are clearly not trained or equipped to do. It is those times that we forget that the earth is the Lord's. How can we ever dare to doubt that the God who holds the earth in the palm of His hand is able to use us in spite of us?

This has been quite random, but I will try to convey my point simply. The same God who created us in His image with a purpose also created the earth and holds it in His hands. My challenge to you is to look at the world with God's global eyes. I assure you that when you do, your perspective will shift and with it a deep love for those you may never have met who live on the other side of the world.