Giving it all to God!

The church and ministry ought to be an extension of only one person; Jesus Christ.


July 19

But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you have already given us!

1 Chronicles 29:14

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Giving it all to God!

David has been preparing all the materials for the building of the temple of the LORD.  David’s desire is that this temple be magnificent and spectacular.  Out of his own resources David provides over 100 tons of gold and even more silver and other precious items.  He then encourages the other leaders of the nation of Israel to donate to the project as well.  These leaders contribute almost two hundred tons of gold.  Just the gold collected in this single offering would be valued at over two billion dollars in today’s money.

David then breaks out in a song of praise for the willing generosity of the people.  David rejoiced over the fact that the people had given so much without any reason except that they had a loyal heart.  The people wanted to bless God and their king and so they gave great amounts for the construction project that was on David’s heart.

God had blessed the nation of Israel with great abundance.  And He was not through blessing them as we will see as we look at the reign of King Solomon.  In David’s song he recognized that God was the one who had blessed them.  He reminds the nation of Israel and us that it is through God’s provision that we have everything that we have.  David marvels over the fact that the things that the people give to God are His in the first place.

It is an interesting truth in the Kingdom of God that there is nothing in this world that we can own.  Everything that comes into our lives was given to us by God.  Even the ability to go to work and earn money so that we can buy things comes from God.  The best we can be is good stewards of the things of God.  And the things of God include all the things that we think are ours.

In the church we can easily be distracted from this truth and think that as leaders we are giving everything to God.  Are we really?  Too often within the ministry, the ministry can become a self-propelled machine that seems to have a mind of its own.  And this machine can become an extension of its leaders.  The church and ministry ought to be an extension of only one person; Jesus Christ.

As leaders we need to be bringing our families, ministries, and churches and offering them to God to do with as He pleases.  And we need to do this willingly and generously; remembering that our families, ministries, and churches were given by God.  What David and the leaders gave was built by them into a marvelous temple used to be focal point of worship for the entire nation.  What does God want to build through your offering? Jesus, help us to build something great for You!

Daily Bible Reading:
Read: 1 Chronicles 28:1-29:30; Romans 5:6-21; Psalm 15:1-5; Proverbs 19:18-19
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