It Was Never Ours to Begin With

10/21/2026

There is something about ownership that changes the way we think. When we work hard for something, save for it, sacrifice for it, and finally get it, we naturally begin to think of it as ours. My house. My business. My money. My family. My life. And there is nothing necessarily wrong with saying those things. But somewhere along the way, we can become so comfortable with the idea of ownership that we forget who actually owns it all. David gives us a reminder in Psalm 24 that ought to change not only how we view our possessions, but how we approach every part of our lives.

The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.
- Psalm 24:1 ESV

I find it interesting that David doesn’t begin this psalm by talking about what God has given us. He begins by declaring what belongs to God. And the answer is pretty simple. Everything.

Not just the mountains, oceans, forests, and stars. Not just the animals or the land beneath our feet. David includes the people who live in the world. That means you and me. We belong to God.

Think about that for a minute. Everything we have worked for, everything we have accumulated, everything we have built, and even the breath we just took belongs to Him.

Now, that can be a difficult truth to accept, particularly for those of us who have spent much of our lives working hard to provide for our families, build businesses, and create some measure of financial security. We look at what we have accomplished and understandably feel a sense of pride. We remember the long hours, the difficult decisions, and the sacrifices that brought us to where we are.

But here’s something we sometimes overlook. Who gave us the ability to work? Who gave us the opportunities? Who provided the wisdom, strength, relationships, and resources that made those accomplishments possible?

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 addresses this very thing. Moses warned the Israelites not to say in their hearts that their own power and strength had produced their wealth. Instead, they were to remember that God was the One who gave them the power to obtain it.

That doesn’t diminish our hard work. It simply puts it in the proper perspective.

We may be responsible for managing what we have, but we are not the ultimate owners of it.

This is the foundation of biblical stewardship. And stewardship is about far more than money.

It’s about how we spend our time, how we treat people, how we use our abilities, how we care for our families, and how we respond to the opportunities God places before us.

Consider something as ordinary as your calendar. Most of us guard our schedules pretty closely. We have meetings, appointments, responsibilities, and things we want to accomplish. We decide what deserves our attention and what doesn’t.

But what would change if we approached each morning recognizing that even our time belongs to God?

Would we be a little more patient with the person who interrupts our plans? Would we be more intentional about spending time with our spouse or children? Would we be more willing to help someone in need, even when it wasn’t convenient?

Or think about our finances. When we believe everything belongs to us, generosity can feel like losing something. We calculate what we can afford to give away while protecting what we consider ours.

But when we understand that everything belongs to God, generosity becomes an opportunity to faithfully use what He has entrusted to us.

And that leads to another part of this passage that I don’t want us to miss.

David says that the world belongs to God, along with those who dwell in it.

That means the people around us belong to Him too.

The person who frustrates you. The neighbor you struggle to get along with. The coworker who seems determined to make your day difficult. Even the person whose beliefs and opinions are completely different from yours.

They are not disposable. They are people created in God’s image.

If we truly believe Psalm 24:1, it should change how we treat them.

There is also something incredibly comforting about knowing that everything belongs to God.

Because if He owns it all, then I don’t have to live under the illusion that I must control it all.

And that’s a lesson many of us, myself included, need to keep learning.

We worry about things slipping away. We worry about finances, our health, our families, and the future. We hold tightly to things because we believe that if we loosen our grip, we might lose them.

But ownership and control were never responsibilities God placed entirely on our shoulders.

He calls us to be faithful. He calls us to be responsible. He calls us to work diligently, love generously, and make wise decisions.

But He never called us to be God.

In fact, as Psalm 24 continues, David asks an interesting question in verse 3: “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?”

The psalm moves from declaring God’s ownership of everything to asking who can approach Him. David speaks of clean hands and a pure heart. He reminds us that belonging to God is not merely a comforting thought. It carries a responsibility to live in a way that honors Him.

And when we read those words through the fullness of Scripture, we recognize how desperately we need Jesus. None of us can claim perfectly clean hands or a completely pure heart through our own efforts. Our hope of standing before a holy God rests in Christ, who makes us clean and brings us into a right relationship with the Father.

So Psalm 24 is about more than possessions. It is about recognizing God’s rightful place in our lives.

He is not simply someone we consult when we need help managing what belongs to us.

He is the Lord of everything, and we have been entrusted with the privilege of caring for what belongs to Him.

That changes the question we ask.

Instead of asking, “God, how much of what I have should I give You?” perhaps we should begin asking, “Lord, how do You want me to use what already belongs to You?”

That’s a very different way to live.

And I believe it’s a much freer way to live as well.

Because when we finally recognize that everything belongs to God, we can stop measuring our lives solely by what we accumulate and begin measuring them by how faithfully we use what He has placed in our hands.

Action Steps

1. Take inventory of what God has entrusted to you. Think beyond money and possessions. Consider your time, relationships, abilities, influence, and opportunities. Thank God specifically for those things today.

2. Examine an area where you’re holding on too tightly. Is there something you’re afraid to surrender to God? Maybe it’s a financial decision, a relationship, or a plan for the future. Ask yourself whether you’re acting as a faithful steward or trying to maintain complete control.

3. Practice intentional stewardship today. Use something God has given you to bless someone else. It might be your time, an encouraging conversation, a financial gift, or simply giving someone your undivided attention.

Challenge for the Day

Before making a decision about your time, money, or relationships today, ask yourself one question: “Lord, since this belongs to You, how would You have me handle it?” Then be willing to follow His direction.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I’ve treated Your blessings as though they belonged entirely to me. Thank You for everything You have entrusted to my care, including the things I sometimes take for granted. Help me become a better steward of my time, resources, relationships, and opportunities. Teach me to hold Your blessings with open hands and to trust You with the things I cannot control. Above all, remind me that my life belongs to You. May the way I live reflect that truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Pastor Jeff

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