Grateful Offering

Devotional Reading: So let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise through him, which is the fruit from our lips that confess his name. Hebrews 13:15 CEB

Like children who borrow a parent’s money to buy them a gift, anything we give to God we first receive from Him. That includes money, time, talents, obedience, or even our prayers and praises. We wouldn’t have breath in our lungs, praise in our hearts, or a dime to our name apart from God’s grace.

In 1 Chronicles 29, David throws a party after commissioning his son Solomon. As he seeks to fund the temple, he doesn’t tax the people or command donations, but he encourages them to give according to what God has given them. Nothing motivates thankfulness and worship of God like remembering God’s goodness and grace.

Grace makes us grateful, and gratitude spawns generosity. Because they believe God provides, it frees them to give back to God. Because they believe God blesses them in countless ways, they thank Him. And because God has fought their battles for them, preserving them to this very day, they give thanks for the past and trust Him for the future.

Don’t forget this is David, the famous king of Israel. Most kings and presidents across history become drunk on power. Others speak their praise and inflate their ego’s. But David stays humble because his eyes remain on God. Knowledge of God provides perspective. He would not be king apart from God. He would not have wealth to give or victories apart from God. Any wisdom, strength, or gifts and abilities David possessed were God given, and he knew it. They were from God, but they pale compared to God.

We either see ourselves as the cause of the good things in our life, which leads to clutching onto them or in pride boasting about them, or we credit God and give Him the glory. We will be self-centered or God-centered, but one of the two will be at the center of everything.

Prayer and Confession
Lord, I acknowledge that all things that I have are from you. Jesus I am grateful.

Further Reading: Leviticus 7:11-15, 1Chronicles 29:10-22