Wednesday 1 Nov 2017

November 1: 1 Chronicles 29:10-16

Key Verse: 1 Chronicles 29:14
But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

Devotion:
The one thing we really must remember is that everything we have comes from God. Why should we then be so obsessed about keeping all we have and not giving things back to God when they are required? Why should we not be willing to offer things back to serve Him? Well, it's all coming back to our greed and selfishness again...

There is no way we can really imagine the splendour of the temple which was built by Solomon or the amount of wealth gathered by David in order to make that temple. Neither David nor Solomon boasted about the amount spent or the amount given or the amount they gave. A simple factual account in accounting terms was recorded instead. David stood up in front of the congregation to give thanks for everything that had been supplied and to humble himself and others before God, reminding them this all came from God in the beginning.

If we want to keep all we have and build up our own riches, then the only thing we can look forward to is death. But as soon as we are willing to admit God is real and all things come from Him, then we should also know that we cannot hold anything back from Him. Using what we have, riches or otherwise, in furtherance of His Word is all He wants from us. He has given all things to us so we can use them wisely to uphold His glory – how can we think anything else.

We need to take a leaf from David's life and move forward in our relationship with Christ, showing Him we are willing to work with Him to make sure His Word is heard amongst all nations and we are part of this resource or movement. If we are willing to give what it takes to move forward with God, then He will be more willing to give us more so we can move forward more. It's not a case of what can God give us, it's a case of what can we do with what God gives us!

Points to Ponder:
How often do you set your mind at doing something and complete it?

How often are those things for God's glory?