On Giving (I)

On Giving (I)

‘For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise Psalm 51:16-17 [KJV]

Bible Reading: Genesis 4

While the gift is important, the giver is of utmost importance. This is because the giver is worth more than the gift. This understanding should be our guide when it comes to giving to God. God is interested first in you, the giver. In fact, the giver must be in right standing with God before his/her gift can be accepted. Ministers of God and the church of God need to be moreconcerned about people’s walk with God as God is more interested in the person giving offering/the gift than the gift itself. Why is the giver more important? What should be our attitude to giving and why should we even give unto the Lord and His people? These questions and many more we will exploring in this series, On Giving.

Our Bible reading focuses on two siblings, Cain and Abel. In the course of time, Cain’s offering unto God was rejected while Abel’s sacrifice was more acceptable because of Abel’s faith in God (Hebrews 11:4). Why did God accepted Abel’s sacrifice but rejected Cain’s offering? The response is in the following verses: “Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground” (Gen 4:3). “Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions” (Gen 4:4). According to Wyatt Graham, the Executive Director of The Gospel Coalition Canada, “Abel did not value his flock more than God but gave away his best. He invested his best into a sacrifice trusting that God could even resurrect the “the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions” (Gen 4:4). Abel freely gave his best to God in faith that God “exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Heb 11:6). At the end, Cain’s envy and jealousy made him kill his brother despite God’s warning.

Make it a priority to give your heart completely to God. Speaking about the gift and the giver, Jesus notes in His sermon on the mount that if you are about to give an offering and you remember that you have something against your brother, reconcile with your brother first and then come and offer your gift (Matthew 5:23-24). Before anything, give your heart to God. Surrender all unto Him; let Him be the Lord over your life and make Him your Saviour.

Daily Confession: I give my heart unto You God, please teach me to continually surrender all that I have unto you and for your glory in Jesus name, amen.

Intercessory prayer: Pray for grace to give your best to God and not hold anything back from Him.

Hymn: I surrender all (x2)

All to Thee, my blessed Saviour

I surrender all.