Everything Belongs to God
by Shirley D. Tingle
Does anything really belong to us? From where have all the things come to which we’ve grown so attached? God owns everything. It’s our job to work “for our keep” while we live here on earth. The Bible has something to say about working. II Thessalonians 3:10, KJV, says: “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” What would we have if men and women had not worked down through the eons of time? If we want to have the things we need and want, someone must work.
The Old and New Testaments are chock-full of occupations, professions, and jobs of useful employment. Not all jobs are created equal, but there’s as much honor and pride in doing one as in doing another if we’re working, using our talents and skills that God gave us, to provide for our families, give to the work of the church, and give to those in need.
I took some information from a couple of websites and made some lists of some of the types of jobs that men and women had as mentioned in the Bible. Why? Well, I thought it was interesting, and I didn’t realize there were so many different types of jobs in the Bible. Here’s a partial list of them with a scripture reference for each. To see more, just go to the websites, or you can Google for yourself.
Jobs of the Bible
Chariot Driver-I Kings 22:34 Interpreter-Genesis 42:23
Doorkeeper-II Kings 22:4 Lawyer-Acts 24:1
Embroiderer-Exodus 35 :35 Minister-Isaiah 61 :6
Engraver-Exodus 28 :11 Physician-Jerimiah 8:22
Gardener-John 20:15 Preacher-II Peter 2:5
Grape Picker-Jerimiah 49:9 Stonecutter-II Kings 12:12
Guard (Footman)-I Samuel 22:17 Weaver-Exodus 35:35
Inn Keeper (Host)-Luke 10:35 Seller of Purple-Acts 16:14
[www.letsrun.com, “Which professions are mentioned in the Bible?].
Baker-Genesis 40:5 Jailor-Acts 16:23
Butler-Genesis 40:5 Publican (Tax Collector)-Matthew 9:10
Cook-I Samuel 9:23-24 Carpenter-II Samuel 5:11
Fisherman-Matthew 4:18 Teacher-I Chronicles 25:8; Romans 2:20
Shepherd-Luke 2:8; Psalm 23:1; Genesis 4:2 Tentmaker-Acts 18:3
Farmer-Genesis 4:2; Psalm 129:3 Apothecary-Nehemiah 3:8; Exodus 30:35
[www.studylightorg, “Top Professions/Occupations in the Bible”].
Yes, we work hard, or if we’re now retired, we worked hard! But God outworks all of us combined. That’s why everything belongs to Him—He created it all. But God doesn’t care about material things. He has no use for them. He wants US. We, also, belong to Him—body, soul, and spirit.
He created each one of us to be a unique, one-of-a-kind, special masterpiece. God doesn’t make mistakes. God made us, but there’s something that separates us from Him—sin.
You’ve all heard of the Five-Second Rule—that’s where you drop a piece of food or candy on the floor or ground, then pick it up within five seconds, and it’s supposed to be perfectly fine to eat. Okay. . . Sure, I probably did it when I was a kid because 1) I wanted to, and 2) nobody really cared. Well, today (during modern times), experiments and Myth Busters have been conducted on the Five Second Rule. You’ll have to go with which ever one you find to be most convincing, and “scientifically sound.” My floors may look clean, but I’m not confident enough to eat off them, and I’ll not ask you to either. Now for my point.
When God made us, our little souls were pure. We were newborns with no sins. As we grew, we reached an age of understanding right and wrong, and if we were taught about God, Christ, and the plan of salvation, our hearts and consciences became keenly aware of right and wrong. We were no longer pure and innocent as from birth. We did sinful things and became spotted with sin. Sin separates us from God. Isaiah 59:1-2, KJV,says: “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear you.” As I said before, we belong to God, and He want us—BACK. But just like the piece of food that fell to the floor, we’re no longer in a pure condition. God loves all sinners, but He hates the sin. To be with God we must remove our sins and become pure again so He can reclaim us as His own. He even provides us with the way. John 14:6, KJV, says: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me.”
To get “back” to the Father, we must go through His Son, Jesus Christ. What exactly does that mean?
“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” Romans 3:24-25, KJV.
Our redemption is found in Christ Jesus. Where can we be made clean, whole, and spotless again? What can wash away my sins?
Ephesians 1:7, KJV, says: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the richness of his grace.”
Romans 5:8-9, KJV, says: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
Romans 6:3-6, KJV, says: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
If we want remission of sins, and to come into contact with the blood of Christ that cleanses us from all our sins, we must submit to being baptized in water, for the remission of sins, Acts 2:38, KJV, (doing so after having heard the Word of God, having believed the Word, having repented of all sins, and having confessed Jesus Christ as the Son of God before men). These things God has commanded us to do through His Son, Jesus Christ, so we can be redeemed back to Him in a purified state. We can then stand clean before Him—reconciled, and part of His Holy family.
I listed many jobs from the Bible for you in the section before. Well, there are many jobs in His kingdom, the church. He needs our heads, our hands, our hearts—our whole selves to work for Him here. Jesus left the Great Commission for His apostles, but that trickles down to all the saved—to help carry it out today, Matthew 28:19-20, KJV. It’s a great and never-ending work, and there’s something for each one to do.
Everything belongs to God. Do you? Jesus paid the price of His life and His blood so we can all be redeemed, or “bought back.” As Christians, we can sing the old hymn, “We’ll work till Jesus comes, and we’ll be gathered home,” and then we’ll belong to God forever more throughout eternity in Heaven.