God Owns It All

Hag 2:8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.

Whenever we read this verse (I have heard it taught this way many times), we have the thought that God owns all of these riches and we can be recipients of these things as He is our Provider.
The part we, sometimes don’t want to think about is the gold and silver we have is His too! Our house, car, money in the bank, stocks, bonds, 401k, our wife, children, our time and talents are all His! We are His! God owns us and all we have.
I think it is noteworthy that tithing is not taught in the New Testament. Tithing is only mentioned twice and it is a repeat of the same text in Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42.
In our New Testament relationship with God, it is not 10% for God and 90% for us. It is ALL His! We are stewards of His stuff!

#Even our own life is His.

You see abortion activists saying, “This is my body, I can do with it as I please!” No! Your body is owned by the God Who made you and granted you life, and blessed you with a child. Killing that baby is the most selfish thing you can do.
Why would tithing only have one mention in the New Testament? I believe, because God owns it all!
Just to make a point, do you think that, if you spent “your money” on prostitution and drunkenness, do you think your tithe is acceptable to God?
If you spend all of your time living for you and then spend 1 hour in church, do you think that 1 hour pleases God?

Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Luk 11:42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Psa 24:1 A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

I remember when we knew God called us to go to the Philippines. I remember how much “stuff” that was just sitting in our shed. For all of this time, were we being good stewards of what God had provided for us? I put up a Yard Sale sign and within 2 hours sold around $2000 US dollars from stuff we never used and never looked at.
One thing I really admired about my wife. She never complained or shed one tear about getting rid of all, I mean all of our stuff!
There is an incredible joy to have God only as our possession. If it is all His, no reason to fret when He decides He wants someone else to have it. He love a hilarious giver! It is all His!
Our time our life all His!
God bless!

My family