Ownership refers to the right to control, determine, possess and direct a person or a thing. It is by nature exclusive and absolute. Ownership does not know half measures, but is very given to full measures. The Psalmist makes an absolute statement when he asserts that “The earth belongs to the Lord and all its fullness, the world and all who live in it”. [Psalm 24:1] This is a sweeping statement that is as true as it is bold. The Lord has the right to claim ownership for the following reasons:
1.He purposed the earth. It was in his divine purpose and innovation to create the earth and the world. This was his grand idea, so he bears sole copyright and possession. 2.He created it. Not only did God purpose the earth, but he went ahead and created it. This is important in the sense that he put his actions were his words and ideas were. His were not just hollow intentions, but actual concrete plans that were actualized.

3.He provides for it. It is God who supplies the needs of the earth. He supplied oxygen air, water, fire, rain and all the crops to grow. He enables life on earth to be enjoyable by holding the equilibrium of creation. He provides our food.

4.He protects it. Even though we live in the constant threat of imminent danger, we can afford to relax and enjoy life because our God watches over us. We recognize that safety is not in the absence of danger, but in the presence of God. There are many unforeseen dangers from which the Lord constantly delivers us. For this we are truly thankful.

5.He prospers it. It is the Lord who gives us health and ideas to create wealth. He brings good seasons to prosper and bad seasons to test and strengthen us. He is in charge of our promotion and progress. He accelerates good things to us, even when accompanied by trouble to anchor our hope in him.

All these grounds prove that God is in charge, fully in charge! In view of the aforestated, God reserves the right to make demands of us, and still be on the right side of things:

1.He makes a demand on our time. All the time we have is a donation from Him. It is His.
2.He makes a demand upon our relationships. All the people we have are a gift from him
3.He makes a demand upon our treasure. All our possessions are a gift of grace from Him, even
where we think we have worked hard to earn it.
4.He makes a demand upon our money. All the money in our possession is actually His. He
leaves us with most of it and asks for only 10% of it.
5.He makes a demand upon our lives. All our lives are His. Every breath is His. And so it must be
lived for Him, serving His purposes at all times.