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!
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