The Bible's timeless truths are designed to get us thinking deeper about life, love and spiritual matters. Sometimes, a simple verse can spark deep thoughts or stunning realizations.
This is exactly what happened to me the other day when I was doing a morning devotion with my 6-year-old and my 3-year-old. We read a little Bible story every morning at breakfast, and then I choose a verse from a stack of cards and we discuss its meaning.
It was the text of Psalm 24:1 (NIV) that stopped me in my tracks. It reads, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it."
Those 17 words truly struck me.
It's so easy in a material world to gloss over the importance of remembering that everything — from people to trees to the items we believe are ours—actually belongs to God. Reflecting on that reality got me pondering a number of questions in culture and my own life:
If it all belongs to God, why do we so willingly devalue life?
If God gives life, why do so many treat it so flippantly?
If it all belongs to God, am I giving enough of what I've been blessed with?
If the earth is God's, am I respecting it as I should?
If all the people who live in the world belong to God, shouldn't I be honoring even those I dislike and disagree with?
The questions went on and on. The reality is: the truth embedded in Psalm 24:1 should cause us to all pause and really think deeper about our lives and world.
Our thoughts, perspectives and actions—regardless of where we stand on politics—should first and foremost reflect the reality that "the earth is the Lord's" and that everything and everyone in it belongs to Him.
Take a moment and think about your life. Does it align?
Let's be better.
Billy Hallowell is a journalist, author and the director of communications and content for PureFlix.com. He's also the former senior editor at Faithwire.com and the former faith and culture editor at TheBlaze.
This article originally appeared at pathufind.com.
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