Focus: 2 Samuel 24:24 - KJV
24. And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
Mark 12:41-44
Since everything we have we got from God, as He is the owner of all things and even ourselves, it should not be difficult for us to give back to God who ordinarily does not have a need of what we give, but as a show of love to Him, we ought to give. Incidentally, God is interested in what we offer Him every point in time. When we refuse to give, we withhold that which we have and it leads to leanness whereas those who give do scatter that which they have and yet increase the more. It is a spiritual mystery that debunks all economic laws. To give to God anything that will be acceptable, we must first purpose what we intend to give and give it cheerfully and not grudgingly. An offering is not a cheerful one not because the giver frowns but more importantly because it costs him nothing. During Solomon’s reign, silver was counted as stone. That is, it was worthless. Imagine Solomon heaping up silver at the time as offering unto God? That will be a grudging offering. “Just take” offering it would have been. Hence, for an offering to be of any quality, it must be one that costs the giver something. David and the widow whose mite Christ reckoned with exemplified this. When you want to give an offering and your hand first feels heavy to draw up the check (cheque), then you know you are about to give a quality offering.
What has the Lord given you that you are finding difficult to give to Him in honor back? It is the test of your love for Him. Let nothing separate you from the love of Christ. Abraham was willing to give his only begotten son in sacrifice to God. A son he had in his old age. He believed quite rightly, if God did give him Isaac in old age, if He took him, He could give a child again. This should be our mind when we want to give: the One who gave us what we are about to give from, can still give us much more. Therefore, let us give to the course of the Lord without inhibition, those things that cost us real good. And then the Lord will accept us and our giving.
SOLUTION: Think of how you have deprived yourself of great wealth in the past by withholding from God; repent now and start to give quality offerings and not just the painless quantity.
May the Lord accept us and our offerings always in Jesus’ name. That which we had given in time past, may the Lord take them as worthy offerings and reward us for them in Jesus’ name. By our offerings, may we never diminish again in Jesus’ name. Give, that it may be given unto you! Give!