1 Chronicles 28:1 And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.

Introductory Thoughts

Basically, a steward is one who oversees someone else’s possessions. The scripture shows stewards overseeing the substance and possession of the king (1 Chronicles 28:1) or administering the oversight of labourers within a vineyard (Matthew 20:8). The life of a steward was devoted to his master’s needs, wants, and demands. The job description was broad and comprehensive. Eliezer, Abraham’s steward (Genesis 15:2), ruled over all that Abraham had (Genesis 24:2) but also went forth to find a wife for Abraham’s son Isaac (Genesis 24:9). The master’s needs became the responsibilities of the steward. Simply put, the steward was responsible for what the master had placed under his care and supervision.

Devotional Thoughts

  • (For children): Potiphar placed Joseph over all his possessions (Genesis 39:4-6). Joseph ended up in prison as a result of a lie told about him. He again became a steward while imprisoned (Genesis 39:20-23). Eventually, he became a steward for Pharaoh over the land of Egypt (Genesis 41:40-47).
  • (For everyone): Look up the word steward in scripture. What are some of the responsibilities given to stewards? What can you learn from the work of a steward that might assist you in understanding how to become a better Christian?
  • In what ways can stewardships parallel that of being a Christian? What responsibilities do you have that would be similar to that of a steward?

Prayer Thoughts

  • Ask the Lord to teach you how to be a good steward.
  • Ask God to help you to be faithful in your stewardship for Him.

 

SONG: AS A VOLUNTEER