20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
21 They say unto him, Caesar's.Then saith he unto them,Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.
I am certain that most are familiar with this passage. But have you considered what is being said here? Yes, Jesus is saying it is alright to pay taxes. After all, the money came from the government, so it can be returned to the government. The coins were made by Rome, and they belong to Rome. Nothing unusual about that thought. But what about the rest of the verse?
Give unto God that which is His.
The things that are Gods are the ones we can give freely and should. We should give to the Lord His praise, gratitude, love, obedience, worship, reverence, and the list goes on. These are the things which belong to God and should be given daily. After all, His blessings are continual, and so should our thoughts of Him be. We live every day because of His love and grace.
The Lord is with us 24 seven. He never leaves our side and never releases His hold on our hand. Even, as His children we try to pull away and go our way, He never lets go of us.The Lord God cares about everything in our lives. So He says, bring your burdens to Me. Bring everything to the Lord, both large and small. Leave nothing out, this will show our dependency on the Lord. He rejoices in helping and blessing His children.
Romans 11:34“For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?”
Our God is so great and mighty, that our minds can’t comprehend His greatness. We may think that little problems can be solved by us and we need not bother God with small issues. But that is not how He sees it. He said to bring everything to Him. Let Him guide our decisions, let Him lead the way in our lives. Ask for His input on all issues. He will not withhold His wisdom. The Lord never intended for humans to walk alone in this world of pain, trouble and problems.
He, God Himself wants to help, all we need to do is ask. We need to learn and practice walking in faith. This takes time, but we should always endeavor to live in faith. Walking and living in faith will amaze you as you see the change in your life. The fears you have will lessen as you continue to grow in your faith. This walk in faith is not an easy journey. It takes us down a path we are not sure of and we are sometimes hit with doubts and unsure steps as to what is Gods will. But prayer and faith will always allow Him to lead us.
We must all make time to be quiet, and listen for His word. We must wait on His timing and His answers. In Psalms, 46:10, we are to be still, and know He is God. This means to stop worrying and be amazed at what God does in your life. Wait on the Lord we are told. Time and again, we are instructed to wait on Him. The Lord is never late, no matter what we may think. His timing is always perfect.
So, to give unto God what is His, should be our greatest desire. He is always working for our good in everything. He knows each of us personally, past present, and future.
When we read the verses in the bible, take time and see what is being said. Know what God is telling us even in the smallest of verses. We will begin to see the love and caring of an almighty God. One who can, and will do anything, great and small. Who truly cares about all things in our lives, as different as they may be in each person’s life. God is God, the great I AM. He who loves us greater than we could ever imagine.
In closing, we are to give to the Lord what is His. Our hearts and mind and complete obedience. We should give to the Lord our continued willingness to live as Christ did. We should strive to live in love and not emotions. Give to God what is His and bask in the shower of His Holy blessings on us and those we meet. Give to the Lord and receive our reward, receive the best crown we can to lay at the feet of Jesus.
1St Peter 5:5-7 5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Acts2:20-22 …20The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord. 21And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ 22Men of Israel, listen to this message: Jesus of Nazareth was a man certified by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know.…
Joel 2:32
And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD promised, among the remnant called by the LORD. The promises of God for redemption and salvation is solid. It is a display of love so great that is difficult for many to accept. Jesus even forgave the sins of the thief next to Him on the cross, and provided salvation. His grace is truly amazing as the song goes.
The Lord God has always called on His creation to return to Him, to repent and be saved. He calls us now and we must answer. All should listen to the Lord and be saved, be made clean and new with no sin left on us. We are like a new slate to written upon. We can forget the sins of our past, we cannot be bound by guilt, but instead move forward knowing we have been forgiven. We are invited to know real peace and to have true and everlasting salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let the past be just that, the past. Look to the new life in Christ we have been offered and be saved.
May the Lord keep and bless you all, AMEN.