Welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread.

I'm James Banks, and I titled our reading, Owner or Steward?

Am I an owner or a steward?

The CEO of a multi-billion dollar company asked himself that question as he weighed what was best for his family.

Concerned about the temptations that can come with vast wealth, he didn't want to burden his

heirs with that challenge.

So he gave up ownership of his company and placed 100% of the

voting stock in a trust. Recognizing that everything he owns belongs to God helped him make the

decision to allow his family to earn a living in exchange for work while also using future profits to fund

Christian ministry. In Psalm 50, verse 10, God tells his people, every animal of the forest is mine

and the cattle on a thousand hills. As the creator of all things, God owes us nothing and needs

nothing from us. I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, he says.

He generously provides everything that we have and use as well as the strength and the ability

to earn a living. Because he does, as the Psalm shows us, he's worthy of our heartfelt worship.

God owns everything.

But because of his goodness, he even chose to give himself,

entering into a relationship with any who turned to him.

Mark 10, verse 45, tells us that Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

When we value the giver over the gifts and serve him with them, we are blessed to delight in him forever.

Today's our daily-bred devotional scripture reading is from Psalm 50, verses 7 through 15.

Listen, my people, and I will speak.

I will testify against you, Israel.

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