“Tell us, then, what do you think? Is it against our Law to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor, or not?” Jesus, however, was aware of their evil plan, and so he said, “You hypocrites! Why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin for paying the tax!” They brought him the coin, and he asked them, “Whose face and name are these?” “The Emperor’s,” they answered. So Jesus said to them, “Well, then, pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and pay to God what belongs to God.” —Matthew 22:17-21 (GNB)
One of the things you must strive to achieve in your Christian walk is always giving to God what belongs to Him. God owns you; He brought you into this world, and He has a profound stake in your life. Because of this, there are certain things due to Him that you must offer continually. He deserves your very best, and reverence demands that you surrender all that belongs to Him. For example, God deserves your worship, honor, service, praise, tithes, and offerings.
Unfortunately, many people do not care about these things and give to everyone else except God. In fact, many societies today do everything possible to deprive God of all that is due to Him. They do not want His name mentioned or worshiped, continually creating laws that relegate Him to the background. By doing this, they raise up men and women who refuse to serve God or give Him the honor He truly deserves.
But is this how God wants us to live our lives? The answer is a resounding no, because there are consequences for withholding what belongs to Him. For example, the Bible says, “If any nation refuses to go and worship the Lord Almighty as king, then rain will not fall on their land.” —Zechariah 14:17 (GNB). Do you see how vital this is?
As a believer, I encourage you today to always give God what belongs to Him. He deserves your praise, worship, service, and your all. Everything we have ultimately belongs to Him because we are not our own. As Scripture says, “…You do not belong to yourselves but to God…” —1 Corinthians 6:19 (GNB). Therefore, make it a habit to give God His rightful due, and your life will never remain the same—praise God!
Today’s Rhema
God owns you; therefore, do not hesitate to give Him what belongs to Him!
Prayer
Father, I am grateful for this wonderful and inspiring teaching. I refuse to hold anything back from You. Instead, I choose to give You the praise, worship, and honor that is due to You, now and all the days of my life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen!
