“For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine and the fullness thereof.” Psalm 50:10 -12

The book of 1st chronicles records king David’s desires to build a house for God. He shared this desire with the prophet Nathan, who responded “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you” (1 chronicles 17:2). But, that night, the word of God came to Nathan and instructed him to tell the king that, because he was a man of war, he couldn’t build God’s house. His son would do the work instead. David asked if he could at least draw the plans and prepare the building materials. When David was granted this request, he spent the rest of his life amassing a tremendous amount of hewn stone, cedar, iron, gold, silver and brass “without measure“.

When all of the building materials had been prepared and assembled at the building site, David called all the leaders of Israel together for a ceremony of praise and Thanksgiving. In 1st chronicles 29:13-14, in King David’s public prayer, who did he say was the real source of all the building materials that he and the people had spent time and money preparing? He said, “We really can’t take any credit for all of these special materials because we are just giving God back his own stuff.”

The point is important for all of us, whether rich or poor (but especially the rich). Because God made everything in the beginning, He is truly the rightful owner of all that exists, including whatever we possess, no matter how hard and diligently and honestly, we have worked for it. If not for God and his grace, we would have nothing and be nothing; in fact, we wouldn’t even exist. Thus, we must always live with the realization that, ultimately, God owns everything and by praising and thanking Him for His goodness to us, we can keep this important truth before us. In short, the God in whom we live has given us existence, the promise of salvation, material blessings and spiritual gifts in order to be a blessing to others.

Whatever material possessions we have, whatever gifts or talents we have been blessed with, we are indebted in every way to the giver in how we use them.