Giving God our best

2 Samuel 24:24 “And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: NEITHER WILL I OFFER BURNT OFFERINGS UNTO THE LORD MY GOD OF THAT WHICH DOTH COST ME NOTHING. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.”

The God of the Bible, the God and the Father of our LORD JESUS is a very active and responsive God. He is called the God of the Living and not of the dead. (Mark 12:26-27). Jehovah has promised that, when we honour Him, He will also honour us. (1 Samuel 2:30). As such, He responds positively to our goodwill and acts of faith. Whenever we honour God with our best, He will also honour us with His best.

You cannot put God first and become the last. All through Biblical history, all those who honoured God with their best got His attention and respect. Abel deliberately gave God his best and God respected and accepted his offering. God demanded from Abraham his son Isaac, which was the best that Abraham had. When Abraham sacrificially offered Isaac, God responded by swearing on oath with a covenant of irrevocable blessing over Abraham that his seed will be blessed forever. When Hannah gave God her best (her son Samuel), God responded with a positive retaliation by giving Hannah five additional children.

Our sacrificial acts towards God in devotion, service or giving will never go unrewarded by Him. Hebrews 6:10 “For God is not unrighteous to FORGET YOUR WORK and labour of love, which ye have shown toward His Name; in that ye have ministered to the saints and do minister.” JESUS Himself promised a hundredfold return on anything we give to further expand God’s Kingdom on earth through the Gospel. Mark 10:29-30. “And JESUS answered and said, verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel’s; but he SHALL RECEIVE AN HUNDREDFOLD NOW IN THIS TIME, houses and brethren, and sisters and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come, eternal life.” JESUS further promised that when we give a cup of cold water to any of His disciples, we would not lose our reward.

In the book of (Mark 14: 3-9), a woman that was classified a sinner brought her alabaster box, the best she had to JESUS. In the presence of everyone, she broke the seal on this alabaster box and poured the expensive ointment on JESUS’s body. Her act of sacrificial giving was commended by the LORD JESUS. Although this woman was criticised for doing so. Of course, when we choose to give our best to God, we WOULD be criticised by family members, friends, etc., who will think that we are crazy, stupid or foolish.

But our God IS A REWARDER of those who diligently serve Him. Keep pouring out your best on God, His payday will soon come. There will always be a definite distinction between those who serve God and idols. Those who serve idols will be like idols and those who appear in Zion, serving the LORD will grow from strength to strength. Psalm 84:7 “They go from strength to strength, everyone of them in Zion appeareth before God.” We should all resolve, like David, never to give God that which IS NOT VALUABLE or that which does not cost us anything. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the reward. God has given you His best – His Only Begotten Son JESUS. He has given us the best Spirit – the Holy Spirit. He has given us the best life – Eternal life.

We should reciprocate His kindness towards us by giving Him our best. The Scripture declares that God remembers our offerings. Psalm 20:3 “REMEMBER ALL THY OFFERINGS, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.” There is also a book of remembrance/record that has been opened in Heaven. Malachi 3:16 “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His Name. Our Heavenly Father cannot forget our sacrificial love, as He did not forget Cornelius’ devotion. It is time to put God first and give HIM our BEST QUALITY.
PRAYER: Father God, You have been so good to me. You gave me Your BEST to ransom my life. Today, I trust God to always give my best in service to God and humanity.