Return That Which Is Not Yours

Have you ever wondered if you are sinning if you keep that which is not yours or was lost by someone? Well, I have thought about this before also and never really knew the right answer until I finally found it in the Bible. If you have also been thinking about this very topic, then God could very well be trying to teach you something about finding the owner of that lost thing instead of keeping it. As for me, I’d rather see what God’s Word says and not do what I think is right. Then, I will also go forth and do as God says. And today was one of those days that He opened my eyes to know His will in this matter. In Leviticus 6, it is written, ¹“and the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, if a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour; Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein.” (Leviticus 6:1-3) So lying about things we are watching over for others, we take something away from someone by force, or find something and then lie about having it afterward, these are all sins before God. Even the very fact of finding something and not desiring to return it to the rightful owner when asked is a sin before God. Therefore, every time I find something I am truthful about it with others and also desire to find the owner of such things. If there is a lost and found, I will turn it in there. If not, then I will open my neighborhood app and ask if anybody has lost it.

Now, concerning God in this matter of lost things, God also said the following to Moses, ¹“then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found, or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.” (Leviticus 6:4,5) What God says here should convict people of their sins. As a lesson from God, we are to return that which we have that is not rightfully ours. We could have even had something in our possession for years, but as God says, this item should be returned to its rightful owner. This can be some tool, rake, shovel, latter, charger, or other things that you once borrowed from your neighbor, but never returned. It can be that $20 dollar bill you stole from your mom or dad when you were younger. It could be that extra item you received on Amazon, that you never informed them of. Anything that you now have in your possession that you took from someone should be returned, this includes things that you got for free, which you should not have. These things we return with interest. So we bring back what we took and ask, tell the person sorry, and ask how we can make it up to them. As for Amazon, we volunteer to pay for the extra item we received or return it back to them. All this we learn from God Himself in His written word, the Bible.

Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that people will desire to give up things in their lives that do not belong to them. They may have things in their possession that they’ve had for years, but was not rightfully theirs. These things need to be made aware of and then given up. I know in my heart that I have taken things from people, especially my neighbors. I have borrowed things and not returned them. And then when I finally realize what I have done, it was sometimes years until I remembered. My flesh may have said don’t worry about it, but I know it was wrong in Your sight. People may have forgotten about these same things as well, long ago, but that doesn’t mean it is right to keep them. I know that the enemy wants us to not worry about these things, but I know He is wrong. So even though I felt very guilty when I knocked on doors of my neighbors, in order to return their possessions, I felt like a load was taken off my shoulders when I did this. Even telling them sorry and what I could do to repay them felt so good. Lord, I just wanted things to get right between me and my neighbors, including my family, when I have wronged them also. So Lord, continue to speak to me daily. Help me remember if I have taken or borrowed something that is not mine and should be returned. I don’t care if I got something extra from Amazon, I will call them up, in order to return the extra item. What is lost does not belong to me, but the person who lost it. This teaching comes from Your Holy Book, the Bible, and I am so grateful that You have taught Moses and the people this. Now I know what is right and what is wrong. I don’t have to second guess or hope I am doing Your will, for You have taught me in scripture. Therefore, I am ready to obey You. I love You, Lord. Your teachings do lead to life eternal, for those who obey them. I give You praise and honor, this day and forever. Amen.

Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.

Leviticus 6

¹Leviticus 6 (KJV)
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;
3 Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:
4 Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,
5 Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.
6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest:
7 And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.
8 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
9 Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it.
10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar.
11 And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place.
12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.
13 The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.
14 And this is the law of the meat offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord, before the altar.
15 And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the Lord.
16 And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it.
17 It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering.
18 All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the Lord made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy.
19 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
20 This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the Lord in the day when he is anointed; the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meat offering perpetual, half of it in the morning, and half thereof at night.
21 In a pan it shall be made with oil; and when it is baken, thou shalt bring it in: and the baken pieces of the meat offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savour unto the Lord.
22 And the priest of his sons that is anointed in his stead shall offer it: it is a statute for ever unto the Lord; it shall be wholly burnt.
23 For every meat offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten.
24 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
25 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord: it is most holy.
26 The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation.
27 Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy: and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place.
28 But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken: and if it be sodden in a brasen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water.
29 All the males among the priests shall eat thereof: it is most holy.
30 And no sin offering, whereof any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile withal in the holy place, shall be eaten: it shall be burnt in the fire.