Give To God What Is His
LENT DEVOTIONAL 2026 | DAY 35
Luke 19:45–48; 20:1–47 (NIV)
By Chan Wai Lup, Chairperson, Discipleship & Nurture
READ:
Luke 19:45–48; 20:1–47 (NIV)
After Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday, the chief priests and teachers of the Law confronted Him with many questions so that they may trap Him. When Jesus was questioned if it was right for the Jews to pay taxes to Caesar, He asked them for a denarius, a Roman coin bearing the image of Caesar and an inscription of him being divine. Jesus subsequently replied, “give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s”.
For me, to “give back to Caesar” would mean to give to my earthly government what is due, which would include various taxes, obeying the law, etc. What spoke to me is to give back to God what is His, that which bears His image. Genesis 1:27 tells me that God created us in His image. As a child of God, I belong to Him. I owe God myself. I am reminded in Romans 6:13 to offer myself to God as one who has been brought from death to life; and to offer every part of myself to Him as an instrument of righteousness. What I owe God is not just my tithes, my time and effort to serve in church and in outreach, but God wants all of me.
I must confess that it is a lot easier to “give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s”, but to give to God all of myself will require a total surrender of every aspect of my life to Him—how I choose to live my life and the decisions that I make. In my younger days, this would include surrendering to God my ambition, my career, my children. In my current season of life, this would include my health, my finances and how I want to enjoy my retirement. Giving all of myself to God would also include my thoughts, my feelings (like sadness, fears, pride and joy) and physical desires. This may seem overwhelming at times, but learning to surrender to God means learning to fully trust Him, that He knows best how I may live my life. This is my faith journey with Him, taking one step at a time. I am learning to pray the lyrics in Don Moen’s song:
Things in the past, things yet unseen,
wishes and dreams that are yet to come true;
All of my heart, all of my praise,
my heart and my hands are lifted to You.
Lord, I offer my life to You,
everything I’ve been through,
use it for Your glory.
Lord, I offer my days to You,
lifting my praise to You,
as a pleasing sacrifice.
Lord, I offer You, my life.
Amen!
[ Reflection Questions ]
- What does it mean for you to “give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s”?
- What does it mean for you to “give back to God what is His”?
- What are some challenges you are facing currently? What would it mean to surrender to God with regard to them? Offer a prayer to God as an expression of your desire to trust in Him.
