If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.” Luke 19:31

Sometimes we act as if we own everything in this world. Our boastful attitude and posture are stark evidence of our ignorance and folly. 

“For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Tim. 6:7). 

Extreme adversity in a series of tragedies brought this truth to Job, and he confessed it. “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart,” he said. “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; May the name of the Lord be praised” (Job. 1:21). How wise we would be if we possessed such a prime view of everything in this world.

God had stripped Job of everything he owned—his oxen, sheep, servants, camels, and all his sons and daughters, and he had many of them (13-19). Yet, in an excellent display of his knowledge of God’s benevolence and sovereignty, Job maintained a heavenly perspective instead of a lateral view of things. Unfortunately, we sometimes lose this view when we go through the crucible. But the most inexcusable posture anyone could assume before God is when we deny Him ownership and appreciation for our stewardship of what He gives us.

Maybe you’ve read about David’s experience with Nabal (1 Sam. 25:1-11). Nabal mocked David and rejected his plea for some provision on the festive occasion of Nabal’s sheep-shearing. “Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?” (11). Nabal was heartless and arrogant, and God didn’t take kindly to that (38).

King Nebuchadnezzar learned his lesson the hard way when he claimed ownership of Babylon from the roof of his palace (Dan. 4:30).

“Immediately, what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled (33).

The rich man whose field yielded abundant harvest said to himself when he surveyed his overflowing riches: “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crop… Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry” (Lk. 12:17-19). God called him a fool and demanded his life from him—a divine request nobody can resist.

I am so glad the owners of the donkey Jesus demanded to have for His triumphal entry into Jerusalem were wiser. At the request of King Jesus, they instantly ceded ownership to Him. Without argument or struggle, they yielded the animals to their proper Owner for His divine purpose (Matt. 21:1-11).

Let us learn how to hold everything in this world—loosely and in readiness to yield them all to Jesus, who is the actual owner of everything we have, even our very life. As Paul says in his doxology, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen” (Rm. 11:36).