Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 29

 Cheerful Giving Equals Glad Hearts

King David had already donated an enormous amount of his own wealth (gold, silver, gems, and marble) toward the building of a new Temple for the Lord in Jerusalem. Now, in one of David’s final acts before his death, he makes an additional donation out of his personal stockpile. He explained that he was making these donations “because of my devotion to the house of my God, I give it to the house of my God.” (V3) David deeply loved the Lord and wanted to spare no expense in the construction of His Temple.

After making his personal contribution, David called upon the leaders of Israel to join him by donating to the cause. And donate they did!  They also gave gold and silver along with bronze and iron.

Then it was the peoples’ turn. You can just see David grinning ear-to-ear as he witnesses the cheerful generosity of the congregation of Israel coming forward and giving such things as precious stones to the Lord. “David the king also rejoiced greatly.” (V9) From there, the only thing David could do was turn to God in prayer and thank Him for His blessings and the generous hearts of the people. “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever.” (V11) It was a day of cheerful giving all around! When people gave, their hearts were glad.

In 2 Corinthians 9, we read the words of the Apostle Paul, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” The people of Israel were indeed “cheerful givers” that day. The people rejoiced because this wasn’t some kind of “high-pressure” deal where they were forced or coerced into giving. Their hearts were delighted to be part of the work God was doing and because of that they “offered freely to the Lord.”

How about you? Are you a cheerful giver? Do you look forward to donating your time, treasure, and talent to the cause of the Lord? Does your heart rejoice when you have an opportunity to bless others with your financial resources? Or, are you a reluctant giver? Do you hold tightly to your wealth (as small as it may be)? If so, it is time to let go of your selfishness and become a more generous person. If you do this cheerfully from your heart, the Lord will take notice of it and “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:11) When you give, you will bless others, and it is YOUR heart that will be gladdened!