What Topic Is Close To God's Heart?

Stewardship.

Wait—don’t stop reading! Did you know that Scripture deals with money more than almost any other topic? It talks about earning and spending money, saving and giving money, investing and even wasting our money. This subject is close to God’s heart, so it needs to be close to ours.


To understand what the Bible teaches about money, it helps to begin with a simple truth: God owns it all. He told Moses on Mount Sinai: “the whole earth is mine” (Exodus 19:5). Not part of the earth; not half of the earth; not three-quarters or seven-eighths. The whole earth belongs to God . . . it’s all His.He owns it all.


Out of this vast treasury of riches, the Lord gives gifts according to His perfect plan. But God’s gifts are never thoughtlessly dumped on us; they come with great responsibility. He gives to us so that we can give to meet the needs of others. God gives us the privilege of participating in His eternal purposes, using His gifts for His glory.

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Thank You Loving Father in Heaven for the amazing grace of 

this day with You, for drawing me in prayer, giving me hunger and

thirst for You. Thank You for the joy of repentance and forgiveness,

for sending the Holy Spirit to teach me, to guide and counsel me.

Thank You for the gifts, the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace,

kindness, gentleness and self-control; for the talents that

You've showered me with and for the opportunities to share them.

Thank You for encouraging me to ask when I have a need; to be humble

and acknowledge my weaknesses. Thank you for sending and putting people in my way to 

help me know You and understand You more. Thank You for enabling me to rise 

out of discouragement and walk in joy because even if I lack,

with You, I am filled. Thank You for Your goodness and mercy that follow me

wherever I go; to enable me to understand Your will and not my own.

Thank You for the countless blessings You have given us:

good health, food I eat everyday and warm home.
Thank You for the gift of family and love ones;

for my safety as I come in and go out. Thank You for supplying all my needs

in accordance with Your richness in glory; for giving me favor with You

and my fellows. Thank You for leading me to the right people.

Thank You for freeing me from sickness in body, mind and spirit, and bringing good out 

of the times when trouble comes. Thank You for giving me the Spirit of Wisdom, 

for inviting me to search for You and not for worldly things.

Thank You for the grace to walk in forgiveness, for opening my hands to give to the needy;

opening my eyes to see the needs of my brothers and sisters.

Thank You for teaching me to accept them as who they are and

not because of what they have and what they do. 

And most of all, Thank You for the greatest gift -

Your Son Jesus Christ in whom I pray in His Mighty Name. Amen.

He Knows It All

At least three great characteristics of God are revealed in Psalm 139, and each one relates to our human experience. In verses 1-6, He is seen as the all-knowing God. That very thought is mind-boggling. Man often spends a lifetime learning all he can about one particular thing. Even then he can know only a small part of a given subject. We learn about a subject line upon line, precept upon precept - that is, little by little, step by step.

God does not. Even the most educated and intelligent people know only an infinitely small portion of all that is to be known. How different it is with God. He really does know it all. In fact, He knows the possible as well as the actual.

God's complete knowledge might be illustrated by the view of a parade from the perspective of a tall building. From that vantage point one might see the whole parade. By contrast, from the sidewalk only a small part of the parade can be observed as it passes.

The psalmist found great delight in the truth that God not only knew about him but also knew him personally. God knew all about his body, his mind, and all his activities. Even the psalmist's tongue was known by God. God knew everything about him. This all-inclusive knowledge of God was not gained by experience. It was not something God learned gradually about the psalmist.

Think it over: what was true of God's knowledge of the psalmist is also true of us. God knows us in the same way and to the same extent. His knowledge of us and all things about us is both comforting and convicting. It is comforting to know He knows our true motives and intentions even when we fail. It is convicting to know He knows our deepest thoughts which we share with no one. He does know it all and He also understands. He is a God of grace as well as of knowledge.