Worshipping By Giving
Preface
I am excited to release this as is, and to keep working on it, refining it as I go over it again and again. The goal is to clarify – to get rid of the fluff and to add structure – before I take this to the Good News Aces site… and eventually, put it all together as a PDF.
Here goes.
Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Proverbs 3:9–10
I remember receiving my first paycheck ever, and immediately handing over my first wages to my parents. It wasn’t much. But whatever transpired during that giving applies to me today. I’m happy if my barns would be filled, I’m also happy if my vats would brim over. That’s all good but that’s not the primary reason why I put my first fruits together, nor is that the reason why I accumulate and portion my wealth; No, I give because I’m happy to honor the Lord. As He has given to me, so I give to Him.
Remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.
Deuteronomy 8:18
Upon reading this verse I’m led to recalling our days discussing Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life. I couldn’t deny that Good News was there for me during this time, and it has helped me personally, and eventually, the program helped my family as well. But anyway. I go way back only to share what was something for me back then, up until today – that is, that we were created for God’s pleasure. Pastor Warren quotes Revelation 4:11, and I have it here in the KJV:
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Revelation 4:11
If I were to put these two together I would say that in our remembrance of the LORD, we would automatically proclaim that He deserves all the glory, honor, and power. The same One who created all things created us, and He has given us the ability to produce wealth – for the sake of wealth? No, it’s for God’s pleasure that we are able to produce wealth.
And let me clarify – does the opposite imply? That God does not take pleasure when we do not produce wealth, or when we waste wealth? I’ll just say this – because of Christ’s finished work we are able to say that as He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17); And because Christ was publicly proclaimed as God’s ‘beloved, in whom (He) is well pleased’ (Matthew 3:17), so we could say that we are God’s beloved children, in whom He is well pleased.
My point here is that if we find ourselves at a point of not being able to produce wealth, or when we find ourselves at a point of wasting the wealth given to us, let us not fall into condemnation. Let us not follow the example of the servant who hid the money entrusted to him, the same one who thought his master was a hard man and was afraid (Matthew 25:24-25); No, in our lowest times, even in our dry, empty, unproductive days, let us remember that through Christ, we are STILL God’s beloved children, in whom He is well pleased!
Let us remember the Lord, who has given us the ability to produce wealth, by way of enabling us through Christ!
Therefore David blessed the LORD in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.
“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you. Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision.”
Then David said to all the assembly, “Bless the LORD your God.” And all the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and paid homage to the LORD and to the king. And they offered sacrifices to the LORD, and on the next day offered burnt offerings to the LORD, 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. And they ate and drank before the LORD on that day with great gladness.
1 Chronicles 29:10-22
To be clear, I thought I would only quote verses 12-13; Then I looked at the surrounding verses to see if this was David or Solomon who was speaking; As you can see, it was David, and as I was reading what he was proclaiming, I thought it was just right to quote verses 10-13… And it never fails. You just see how good it all is when you include His words in their entirety – verses 10-22. I see here, how we can celebrate, how we could worship, by way of giving and offering, and in communion and our eating.
David speaks as a king to the LORD, in the presence of the assembly – and even in his own greatness, he proclaims that it is the LORD who is worthy of power, glory, victory and majesty. He proclaims to the LORD and to the congregation that though he is king, it is the LORD who is exalted as head over all the kingdoms of heaven and earth. As such, it is but natural for him to proclaim that greatness, strength, honor and riches come from Him, and Him alone.
But, observe – He does not stop at proclaiming the goodness and the greatness of God; No, he also proclaims that we have nothing to give on our own, much less willingly. He acknowledges that our own lives on this earth are fleeting as a shadow. David then goes on to say that he offers all that he can, in the uprightness of his heart, freely and joyously to Him, that He may keep his people’s hearts, and his son Solomon’s heart, directed towards Him.
What does all this tell me? It tells that in our recognizing God’s goodness and greatness, we respond in two, no, three ways: (1) In worship and awe of how great our God is, as Creator over all creation, (2) in humility as we recognize who we are before Him, and (3) in dependence, as we call out to Him for help.
So great was David’s proclamation, that all he had to do afterwards was to let the assembly have their turn. And we read, that as soon as he told them, ‘Bless the LORD your God’, so they did – bowing their heads, paying homage to the LORD and to the king He placed for them: And behold, they blessed the LORD with 1000 bulls, 1000 rams, 1000 lambs and drink offerings – indeed, sacrifices in abundance for all Israel!
But in our observation and appreciation of this passage of Scripture, I am led to derive something else: That while it is inevitable for us to be overwhelmed, it takes leading – and an appropriate word – to ensure an accurate proportionate response. Similar to what we term as a ‘Call To Action’ in today’s online environments, I believe David’s simple words – ‘Bless the LORD your God’ – this was more than enough for the assembly to spring into movement; thousands of animals’ worth!
And lest I forget! This was during the Old Testament, and David and all of his assembly were of the nation of Israel. Now as far as I know, even if we were alive during his day, we would not have had the privilege to rejoice as they did! But here’s the thing! Years before, as written in 2 Samuel 7, this same King consulted the prophet Nathan regarding his concern – He lived in a palace, while the house of His God was a tent!
The Scripture continues: The Lord responded through Nathan, promising him (among many other beautiful revelations, as I’d probably be writing/talking about some other time) that (1) He would raise up his offspring to build a house for His name, and that (2) his throne shall be established forever. How was the first promise fulfilled? Why, by the same son David mentioned in his proclamation – Solomon built the Lord a temple!
But more importantly, how was the second promise fulfilled? By One who would be born so many generations later – Jesus Christ! And friends, not only has Christ guaranteed that One from the line of David would reign forever, but He has also ensured the salvation of both Jew and Gentile… that every tongue, every tribe may bless God, and proclaim Him as LORD!
Clearly, friends, there’s so much we can derive from this small section of Scripture… but for purposes of clarity, I will say this: The meditation of Christ, who is our Living Word, leads to praise of our lips, and in our praise, we should not be at all surprised that we would be brought to make offerings, and to feast with great gladness!
This is turning out to be my message for Sunday, June 4, 2023.
But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
1 John 3:17
Friends, let me clarify. This Scripture must not be misunderstood, and we should not take it as a basis for us to help anyone and everyone in need when we have the world’s goods. Please read that carefully: We are, at the very least to open our hearts towards them. Does this mean helping them by giving them the goods that they need? Perhaps, but do take note: It is possible for one to give precisely what another brother needs, yet still have his heart closed against him.
The key here, my friends, is that if we find ourselves in a quandary, or if we are in doubts to give to a brother in need, let us go back to remembering God’s love towards us; in fact, let us ask ourselves at the time – how does God’s love abide in us, in that particular moment?
And this is where see how precise and specific, how customized and how personal God’s love is for each and every one of us at every given moment. This is where we appreciate how God’s love isn’t just a concept for us to grasp, nor is it a set of rules for us to follow, nor is it a mere feeling we flow from – No, as God is not merely the God of love and peace (2 Corinthians 13:11, Romans 15:33) but IS true Love (1 John 4:8, 16), we have a living Love alive in us, and we have an everlasting Love unto life!
Friends, we will be subjected to so many variations of situations involving our goods and our brothers and sisters in need. In all of these moments, let us respond with an open heart – made possible only by God’s love abiding in us.
Part II coming soon.
JB's Personal Brain Defragmenter 
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