Devotional - June 5, 2004

If one thing represents David's attitude more than anything else, this must be it. His offering to the Lord was always personal, distinct and dedicated. David never reduced his giving in order to allow someone else to make up the difference and he never retreated when it came time to serve. In fact, it was hard for him to quit even when it was obviously time for others to take his place. (2Sa 21:17)

Our generation is marked by the attitude of ungrateful expectation: "Get all you can; can all you get; sit on the lid and poison the rest!" It's not "Thank you so much," but instead, "Is that all there is?"

In America, generations before us paid dearly for what we today enjoy. In our work, someone else may have laid the foundation that allows me to ride the wave of their success. In church, even the church pew upon which we sit was made possible by the sweat of someone who came before us and sacrificed to provide it.

As Americans, the blessing of liberty is so great, it's become too easy to take it for granted. David knew what we should learn: without personal sacrifice, there is no personal offering. If there is no personal offering, there's no participation. And when it comes to God's work, if there's no participation, there's no fellowship.

After David sacrificed fifty shekels of silver to purchase the threshing floor and the oxen, he built an altar and burnt them as a sacrifice to the Lord. It was called a fellowship offering and Scripture says that afterward God answered David's prayer by healing the land and blessing him.

Answered prayer may start with holy desire, but it takes personal sacrifice to seal the deal.

1 Developed from Read the Bible Thru ( 2Sa. 23:24-24:25 Ac. 3:1-26 Ps. 123:1-4 Pr. 16:21-23 )
2. Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society