Written by: John Sernaque
Stewardship
CS - Counsels on Stewardship (1940) Chapter 13— God’s Claim Upon Us
God has laid His hand upon all things, both man and his possessions; for all belong to Him. He says, I am the owner of the world; the universe is Mine, and I require you to consecrate to My service the first fruits of all that I, through My blessing, have caused to come into your hands. God’s word declares, “Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits.” “Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase.” This tribute He demands as a token of our loyalty to Him. {CS 72.1}
We are merely stewards of all that belongs to God. God has entrusted to us the whole world, the universe, of which He is the owner. As a token of our loyalty, God requires a portion of our first fruits. Whether it be money, property, or time, our first fruits are required for His treasury. His treasury is for the use of the church, the work of salvation, helping the needy, and proclaiming the everlasting gospel throughout the world. By His blessings are we able to receive what comes into our hands. If we continue to be a blessing unto others, we will continue to receive God’s blessings unto us.
Our kind and gracious Father,
We thank You for all the blessings You continually pour out on Your children. For providing for our families and us. We joyfully and faithfully return unto You of our first fruits for Your treasury to be used for the church, the needy, and carrying out the work of salvation, You have given us to do. You own everything in the world and our tribute is a token of loyalty to You. We thank You for the honor and privilege of entrusting us as stewards of all that is Yours. May we be able to bless others, as You continue to bless us. We thank and praise you, in the name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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