READING: 1 Chronicles 28-29, John 9:24-41
“For everything comes from You.”
1 Chronicles 29:14
Pam and I love giving to the work of God. Doing so never seems like a sacrifice or a hardship; it’s always instead a joy. That’s not to say that it’s always been that way, though.
Frankly, I’m cheap. I detest debt, and I feel more secure when I know we can pay our bills without suffering hardship. I did not enjoy the days of living paycheck to paycheck, never saving anything for the future. While I always gave at least a tithe to support God’s church, I often did it more begrudgingly than joyfully. Writing the check felt like a genuine chore as I considered other things I needed to pay off.
Over the years, though, I’ve come to understand what David prayed as He commissioned Solomon to build the Temple: “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your own hand” (1 Chron. 29:14). Pam and I may have worked hard for many years to save money, but whatever we have is not ours – and has never been. We live only as “temporary residents” in this world (1 Chron. 29:15), with everything belonging to Him (1 Chron. 29:16). In that sense, we are not giving our wealth to Him and His church; we are simply giving back to Him what has always been His in the first place.
Knowing that truth has changed the way we give to God’s work. We do not hold dollars tightly in our hand, as we know they are not ours. We spend more responsibly because we want to have more remaining to give to God. We’ve been certain to prepare a will so others will know to give the funds at our death to God’s work. We are willing to take risks to give more and more, knowing that we really cannot outgive Him. And, we seriously rejoice when we’re privileged to support His work. After all, who are we that God would allow us to give to His work? Our prayer is simply that we will give “all these things with an upright heart” (1 Chron. 29:17) and maintain surrender, obedience, and trust.
ACTION STEPS:
- Evaluate your willingness to give to God’s work. Increase it as the Lord requires.
- Walk through your place of residence, noting that all you have belongs not to you, but to Him.
PRAYER: “God, thank You for all You’ve allowed us to steward for You. I give it back to You day after day.”
TOMORROW’S READING: 2 Chronicles 1-3, John 10:1-23