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It's all His
Psalms 24:1 says "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." This is a great scripture but I think we have a harder time with it than we let on. This is one of those that we know is true in a general sense, but I think we wrestle with it on an individual level in ways that most others never see. We would never argue that it isn't true, but still inside we struggle.
I think of Achan after the battle of Jericho and how it had been found out that after the great battle where God brought victory, that he had taken things that were supposed to be consecrated to God and buried them under his tent. I think about the things that Achan took as his own and I wonder how much it reflects some of us today. You see Achan didn't take religious artifacts that seemed like they would typically go to God's house. It wasn't like Achan saw a communion set as he was passing through or a baptismal or choir robe. No, Achan took silver, gold, and piece of clothing that he thought looked nice.
In the things that he took I can't help but think of our society. Broken down to simplest terms he took money and clothes. I think of us as a people and the value that has been put on these two things and wonder how many of us would have taken them as well for ourselves. Many find their identities in these two things. We want to be the best dressed, or the wealthiest. Showing how much we have is a way some believe we express our worth. We might rationalize within ourselves that God has no use for any gold or silver, that we're sure that there are plenty of others that are bringing that stuff to the temple. God won't miss it if we just don't consecrate our little piece of things.
And that last sentence sums up the problem. "God won't miss it if we just don't consecrate our little piece of things." When we begin to look at things as being ours and hold on to them with an iron fist we begin to show a heart issue that is deeper than the money or the clothes. You see, the truth of the matter is that God wasn't after Achan's money or anything else Achan might have found on the battlefield. God wanted Achan.
I want you to know today that God isn't after your possessions. When it all comes down to it, all that we have been entrusted with in this life is really the Lord's already. We are stewards with what the Lord has allowed us to have. All of our money, all of our talents, our abilities, even our potential has all come from God. When we begin to take an attitude where we aren't consecrating them to the Lord what we really show is that our heart isn't His. More than anything else God wants you.
In the big picture us consecrating our stuff to God is a way that we show that our heart is God's. Jesus said that where our treasures are our hearts would be also. In the end it's not about here at all, but about eternity. There will come a day when all the things we accumulated will not matter in the slightest, but only that we gave all of ourselves to Christ. He desires you and even gave Himself for you in His death on the cross. The unavoidable truth of the Bible is that God loves you and went out of His way to show that love so that you could one day be with Him.
I would challenge you today to allow yourself find your identity in Christ. The word is clear that God desires obedience more than sacrifice. The reason for this is that obedience to God shows that you are His. He wants to speak to you, to mold you, and shape you into all that He's destined you to be. These things are only found as we give ourselves to Him. It's an amazing thing when we know everything in the earth is the Lord's and what He desires most is your heart. The word says if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. Let your heart's cry today be for the nearness of God in your life and be certain that, as that is the case, He will answer that cry.