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Listen while you read: "We Give Thee But Thine Own"1 (Lyrics) |
His nickname was "Double T", but I knew him better by what snuggled in his pocket each Sunday morning: a single dollar bill.
Double T was a kind man, well-known in the community, well-liked in the area, a faithful church attendee, and a regular giver … of one dollar. Had his offering been a "widow's mite", it would have sufficed, but it wasn't. He was a good friend, but I often wondered how he imagined that the church could pay her bills and serve evangelistically if everyone contributed only one dollar.
"What's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine" is a common quip spoken in jest when a woman wants to remind her husband that everything really belongs to her. But a more appropriate statement might read, "What's mine is ours, and what's yours is ours."
The psalmist reflects the correct attitude:
Psalm 24:1 – The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. (NLT)
God says, "I own the cattle on a thousand hills" (Psalm 50:10 NLT), which implies that everything I have is His, too. What's mine is His because He has given me the talents, physical abilities, and opportunities to amass it, invent it, or produce it. It's mine only on loan. Since God owns all I possess, I don't have the final say so on how I employ it. Well … I do, but I don't. Misuse gives only one dollar when it's not a legitimate mite and ignores service opportunities because I'm just too busy or really don't care. When I recognize that "mine" is really God's, I'll use everything I own in ways that promote His kingdom's growth, provide for my basic needs and those of others, and at the same time, enjoy each breath God gives. How can you better let your actions say, "What's mine is God's?"
Prayer: Merciful God, giver of all that we possess and enjoy, challenge us to use Your gifts to us in ways that effectively and sincerely serve You and others. Amen.
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A great read and faith builder!
Amen to each word in this devotional!
That was wonderful! Thank you so much!
Thank you for such a practical word. I know what I must do.
Dear Martin;
Well said!
Nicely said, Martin.
(Texas)
Thank you Martin.
God Bless.
AMEN! Martin.
Thank YOU for writing to us.
A good message Martin reminding us that whatever we have is a blessing from God. We should be willing to offer our best from what already belongs to Him in the first place.
Blessings.
Martin,
Thank you for helping me to remember, I am here to serve others and not myself. All I am and have is the Lord’s. I WILL take your word and God’s word to heart this day. Thank you for your obedience to God and sharing.
I pray your day is richly blessed.
Hi Martin,
I appreciated what you had to say about Double T and wondered if his $4 a month might not have been part of his total tithe for all the charities to which he contributes. Let us hope it was. Perhaps he also gives the S.P.C.A. four bucks a month…they can use it.
Blessings.
Dear Martin Wiles,
“What’s mine is ours, and what’s yours is ours.”
Certainly we should be saying to God, “What’s mine is Yours?”
To what extent does God say to us, “What’s Mine is yours”? At 1 Timothy 6:17 we read “… trust in … the living God who giveth us all things to enjoy…”
Keep writing, and enjoying writing too.
Good reminder Martin.
God bless you.