Do you remember growing up in Sunday School singing the chorus "He Owns The Cattle On a Thousand Hills"? Or maybe you joined in singing this chorus in a prayer meeting.
This chorus, written by John Peterson, is based on Psalm 50: 10,11, "For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine."
And most of us grew up thinking that these verses meant that God could and would provide everything we needed, even though I personally never needed any of God's cattle. Just recently I had a friend contact me to tell me of some recent needs that they had. Her concluding statement was "Oh well, God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, so He can take care of my needs."
And certainly He can and He will provide all that we need. And He has done that over and over and over again. He wants us to bring our needs to Him, although He really knows what we need even before we ask. He is all knowing. Philippians 4:19 "God will meet all your needs according to his glorious needs in Christ Jesus." The song is a great reminder that God can and will take care of us.
While the song focuses on God's wealth, that is not the primary focus of Psalm 50 which shares that praise and godly giving are more important to God than external religious activity. God's complaint against the Israelites is not that they had failed to offer sacrifices and offerings. Indeed, they had offered them continually. Instead of offering their sacrifices in a spirit of humble worship, the people were offering them as if they were doing God a favor for which he should be thankful. They offered their sacrifices as if they were giving God something he needed. But God needs nothing. He already owns everything – the cattle on a thousand hills and the wealth in every mine.
The offerings that he accepts are those based on thanksgiving, obedience and complete trust.
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills
The wealth in every mine,
He owns the rivers and the rocks and rills,
The sun and stars that shine,
Wonderful riches more than tongue can tell
He is my Father so they're mine as well
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills
I know that He will care for me
Listen to it here. PSALM 50
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