Man’s Place in God’s Plan

The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men (Psalm 115:16).

God created heaven as a dwelling for Himself—perfect, glorious, and most holy. The earth He gave to man as his dwelling—everything very good, but only as a beginning, with the need of being kept and cultivated. Man was to continue and perfect the work God had done. Think of the iron and the coal hidden away in the earth, of the steam hidden away in the water. It was left to man to discover and use all this, as we see in the network of railways that span the world and the steamers that cover the ocean. God had created everything to be thus used. But He made the discovery and the use of such things dependent on the wisdom and diligence of man. What the earth is today, with its cities and its cornfields, it owes to man. The work God had begun and prepared was to be carried out by man in fulfillment of God’s purpose. And so nature teaches us the wonderful partnership to which God calls man for the carrying out of the work of creation to its destined end. This principle is equally strong in the kingdom of grace. In His great plan of redemption, God has revealed the power of the heavenly life and the spiritual blessings of which heaven is full. But He has entrusted to His people the work of making these blessings known and of making men partakers of them. What diligence the children of this world show in seeking the treasures that God has hidden in the earth for their use! Will the children of God not be equally faithful in seeking the treasures hidden in heaven, to bring them down in blessings on the world? It is by the unceasing intercession of God’s people that His kingdom will come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (See Luke 11: 2.) Ever blessed Lord, how wonderful is the place You have given man, trusting him to continue the work You have begun. Open our hearts for the great thought that, through the preaching of the gospel and the work of intercession, Your people are to work out Your purpose. Lord, open our eyes, for Jesus’ sake. Amen. —Andrew Murray

God, in His wisdom and love, created the earth not just as a place for us to live, but as a place for us to partner with Him. He began a good work in creation, and then entrusted it to us—to cultivate, to discover, to build, and to bless. Just as He hid treasures in the earth—iron, coal, steam, and seed—He has also filled heaven with spiritual treasures: grace, peace, truth, and redemption. And now He invites us to seek them out with the same diligence and purpose, not for ourselves alone, but to share with a world in need. In the kingdom of grace, our work matters. Through our prayers, our faithfulness, and our witness, we help carry God’s purposes forward. What a sacred calling—to be co-laborers with the God who made the stars. Just as cities were carved from stone and fields filled with grain by human hands, so too will hearts be healed and lives redeemed through the work of God’s people. Whether through intercession or sharing the gospel, your faithfulness has eternal weight. So lift your eyes today and remember: you are not insignificant, and your role in God's story is not small. Heaven is full, and God is longing to pour its blessings out through you. Trust Him, and take your place in His beautiful partnership. —DH