Written by: John Sernaque
Stewardship
CS - Counsels on Stewardship (1940) Chapter 2—Our Bountiful Benefactor
The power of God is manifested in the beating of the heart, in the action of the lungs, and in the living currents that circulate through the thousand different channels of the body. We are indebted to Him for every moment of existence, and for all the comforts of life. The powers and abilities that elevate man above the lower creation, are the endowment of the Creator. {CS 17.1}
He loads us with His benefits. We are indebted to Him for the food we eat, the water we drink, the clothes we wear, the air we breathe. Without His special providence, the air would be filled with pestilence and poison. He is a bountiful benefactor and preserver. {CS 17.2}
We have been extremely blessed to have received life. The breath of life that God breathed into our nostrils that we may become living souls. All that we have is a blessing from God. He has provided for all our needs and we are indebted to Him for everything. However, there are some who have befallen on difficult times. The poor, the sick, the homeless, widows, and the orphans. We are all stewards of all that God has blessed us with. Our means are His and we are to set aside a portion to help our brothers and sisters in need. We have all the comforts of life, and God would have us unselfishly give for the benefit of the needy--- food, water, clothes, etc. After all, did not Christ Jesus give all for our sake. Let the power of God be manifested in your giving that others may be preserved.
Our kind and gracious Father,
We thank You for being so good to us. For providing for all our needs. It is our prayer that You continue to bless us that we may be a blessing to others. Grant us Your wisdom to appropriately use the means You have blessed us with. May we be unselfish towards our brothers and sisters in need. We pray that Your power is manifested in our giving for the benefit of the needy. Save us and help us that through us, others may be saved. We ask for the forgiveness of our sins. All these things, we ask and pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
