1 Chronicles 29:11-14 - Yours,
O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty.
Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your
kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Riches and honor come from you alone, for you
rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and it is at your
discretion that people are made great and given strength. "O our God, we thank you and praise your
glorious name! But who am I, and who are
my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from
you, and we give you only what you have already given us!
David’s last moments on Earth were so consumed with God’s presence
in in his life….his words to others showing them that he understood the power
and control God has over our lives. As
he handed the crown to his son…he was overcome with just how unworthy he was to
hold the position and wealth God had showered on him throughout his life…in
spite of the many mistakes he had made.
He asked a question…but it is clear he already knew the answer.
God is the owner of everything…EVERYTHING…that we have been allowed
to touch in our lifetime. The land….the
house…the car…the money…and all the petty material wealth we have collected
around us. It’s all God’s folks…on loan
so to speak….and we are simple the caretakers of it. Everything we have been given
is not ours….it has been placed in our hands because God wanted to bless us.
David’s many storms in life had helped him develop a humbleness
few of us can imagine. In this moment…soon
before his death…he thanked God for allowing such a sinner as himself to be so
powerful and wealthy…then he gave everything God had blessed him with back to
God. He had spent a great portion of his
life amassing the materials his son would need to build a grand home for God….and
now he gave everything else he had been given back to the one who had given it
to him.
When we start to soak in the truth that God is the master of
our lives…and he has given us what we have not just to bless us….but to do some
work for him as well…then our hearts begin to understand the meaning of
stewardship. Tithing …. charity…. offering…
giving to others….it all takes on a new meaning when we look at it through
David’s eyes. God’s generosity toward us should spur our hearts into new realms
of generosity to others…. So that we become better stewards of what he placed
in our hands.
I can’t help but think of that story in Matthew 25….where
the master of a fortune gave three different servants some gold to manage while
he was away. God was not too pleased
with the one who dug a hole and hid it in the ground…but he praised the two for
taking what he had given them and multiplied it into more than they started
with. Pretty clear to me that I am not supposed to sit on what he gives me and
do nothing….I am supposed to invest it in the lives of others…and give it back
to him to use to build his kingdom.
Father…thank you for this reminder that I am not the owner
of anything that I touch around me. You
have simply loaned it to me to use in some way for your glory. Show me this morning how I can be a better
steward of what you have placed in my hands.
Give me open eyes and sharp hearing…so I can hear the Holy spirit
prompting me to use what you have given me to do you work here on Earth. Amen.
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