Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?
Job 41:11 (ESV)
Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.
You belong to God, and he owes you nothing! Sometimes it is important to right-size our view of ourselves and our place in the universe. We act like we are owed something special. We even use phrases like, ‘This isn’t fair’ or “I deserve better.’
We even have these thoughts about God. We expect him to do good things for us and get frustrated when he doesn’t. We think, “I’ve worked really hard to be a better person so that God will give me that thing I’ve been wanting for so long.” Or, “I’m not getting what I’ve prayed for; it’s probably because of my sins.”
But God doesn’t owe us anything, and because we belong to him, we owe him everything. Which makes it all the more amazing when in spite of my sins he gives good gifts to me, like righteousness that isn’t mine and hope for an eternal life that I don’t deserve.
The one to whom we owe everything gives us what we haven’t or can’t earn when he doesn’t owe us a thing. Now that’s amazing! It should turn our grumbling into praise.
God, please help us see both our duty to you and your grace toward us so that we might trust you more deeply and love you more fully.
