Psalm 24:1
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.

Psalm 8:6
You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet.

Handle with Care

My sister Lori and I had to share a bedroom when we were girls. Sometimes that was awesome, like when we spent hours on the floor between our twin size beds playing Monopoly. Other days were torture. On the days when the conflict got really bad, we used masking tape or yarn to divide our room in half, with threats of bodily harm to the one who stepped over the other’s boundary. It was quite a challenge to the one who didn’t have access to the door at such times.

You stay on your side of the room, I’ll stay on mine!” Mine. It’s an ugly four-letter word that expresses our sinful, selfish nature. Like two-year-olds playing tug of war with a favorite toy, we scream, “It’s mine!” “No, it’s mine!” “It’s mine!”

Those harsh words are not limited to the tongues of toddlers alone. Haven’t you heard yourself saying, “It’s my life, my body, my rights, my money. . .” and “I want it done my way. It’s all about me!”

Psalm 24:1 tells us, The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. God our Maker says, “It’s all mine!” He is the Creator, Sustainer, and Owner of the whole world. Everything you see – including you and me – belongs to God. It’s all His!

In Psalm 8:6, God in His unbelievable love and generosity invites us to be stewards of all of his belongings. “You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet.” Stewardship is a sweet partnership between God, the Creator and Owner of all, and us, his stewards. We get to carefully care for and use all of His belongings. It’s not a right; it’s an incredible privilege. It’s not a miserable duty; it’s a high calling that we must joyfully embrace!

What an incredible gift from God! What has God put into your care? What time, spiritual gifts and abilities has He given to you? What money and possessions has He trusted you with? How are you taking care of His creation? How are you caring for His temple, your mind and body?

Consider what God has placed under your personal stewardship, and then ask this important question: Am I handling all of God’s stuff with care?

Today’s Prayer:

Father God, thank you for all that you have made. You are the Maker of all things! It all belongs to you! Thank you for the incredible gifts you have given to me. Please help me to be a good steward of your time, your money and possessions, your world, your temple as it exists in my mind and body. Help me use the spiritual gifts and abilities You have given me in service to others. Please help me to carefully handle all of your stuff. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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