It was in the beginning that God the Creator took the chaos out of the cosmos and created order. He brought all that was made into perfect balance and—with man created in His image—charged us to subdue and multiply it.
We are not placed on this earth to simply look forward to the weekends and trudge through our workweek with the absence of joy. Doing so only frames our responsibilities as obligations and not assets.
But God desires more for us. He wants us to experience joy in all that we do.
Claiming Dominion | Finding Joy in All That We Do
We do this by…
Glorifying the Lord with our actions.
- “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”—1 Corinthians 10:31
Working for the Lord’s Kingdom, not ours.
- “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.”—Colossians 3:23
Doing something useful, allowing us to share with those in need.
- “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”—Ephesians 4:28
Having an open hand and an open heart with what the Lord has given us.
- “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.”—Deuteronomy 15:7-8
In our recent article “Have Dominion Over and Subdue the Earth,” we discussed the responsibility we have to take dominion and examined the Hebraic roots to understanding the dominion mandate.
The biblical stewardship of the earth falls on Believers as a responsibility and a blessing.
Jesus Himself walked upon this earth with His disciples. His dust-covered feet walked along the Sea of Galilee, the Mount of Olives, and within the walls of Jerusalem as He preached about the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus’ Parables About the Kingdom of Heaven and the Land
Jesus likened the Kingdom of Heaven to seeds sown in the land.
The Parable of the Sower | The Kingdom of Heaven
…‘Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’”—Matthew 13:3-9
The takeaway: When we sow into good soil, our return is multiplied!
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares | The Kingdom of Heaven
…‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?” He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” The servants said to him, “Do you want us then to go and gather them up?” But he said, “No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.”’”—Matthew 13:24-29
The takeaway: The enemy plants counterfeit seeds, so we must be diligently seeking God’s seed in His soil.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed | The Kingdom of Heaven
…‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.’”—Matthew 13:31-32
The takeaway: The smallest seed of faith can grow into a tree that holds hope and comfort to others.
The Invitation | Claiming Dominion
Stop and think about those parables taught by Jesus. When we claim dominion…
- There is joy in the work, and as a result, God is glorified and we are blessed.
- There are seeds to be sown in His soil, and as a result, we bring others into the fold of Jesus.
- There is a diligent spirit that accompanies it, and as a result, we will have strength till the end and understand when the enemy is at work.
It’s Time to Subdue the Earth | Taking Action
There is an invitation to take action—we can have dominion over and subdue the earth. Now that we understand the responsibility we have as Believers to find joy in claiming dominion, as well as sowing into good soil, we can take the next step.
When it is time to put the metaphorical shovel to the dirt, where should we start? We start where God started—with Israel. God’s heart for His people has never changed, and He desires their restoration. And now, we can be a part of that invitation.
In the beginning, we were charged to take dominion, and now, just as it has been forever, we can harness the Holy Land’s potential and bring revival to the land and the people!
Find out more about dominion and environmental prophesy HERE!