… Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?” … Anyone who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

1 Chronicles 29:5b, 9

Here I am Lord.

 

Your servant is listening.

 

Open my ears to hear You,

open my eyes to see only You,

open my heart to know You.

 

For You, O Lord,

search the depths,

deepest, darkest corners;

You need no light, You see everything from Your heights.

 

And just when I think I am just an ant on this earth

nothing to be noticed, nothing to be heard,

You reach down, pick me up from the dirt

showing me You know me, You are with me, You’ve never left me, You have plans of good for little, bitty me.

 

Here I am, Lord. I offer myself to you, with humble, thankful, grateful praise.

 

~Marcie Bridges
©17 March 2020

 

My heart says one thing. My head, another. Making decisions has never been easy for me. Not as a child. Not now.

 

This walk of faith is not always easy. Especially when we are surrounded with only what we can see, hear, and feel. Today’s news sometimes brings us to our knees in defeat and worry, when we should be focusing on God who is in ultimate control of it all.

 

In 1 Chronicles 28-29 King David is at the end of his life. He is passing the torch over to his son, Solomon, who will take his place as king and will also be the one to build the temple.

 

As David begins his discourse to Solomon, he admonishes Solomon to do the following:

 

– seek God in everything

– do what God tells him to do

– do not fear anyone or anything

– be strong and courageous

– God will be with you through it all, all the way to the finish line.

Then in chapter 29 King David instructs the Israelites in how they are to help build the temple. He instructs them on what to give. He’s very specific about the gold, silver, and other materials. However, his emphasis is not on what to give, but how to give it.

He says they need to give out of a willing heart. Obedience is good, but when done willingly—not out of necessity or any other motive—God is very pleased, and we are blessed even more because of it.

 

In chapter 29:10-20, we find King David praying to God, not just thanking God for His blessings upon them, but also praying for the people of Israel. He prays they will do the right thing because he realizes God knows our hearts, intimately. He knows our thoughts and our intentions. When we serve God with the intention of joyful obedience, we are able to bend our knees to God in humble thankfulness.

 

It can be a hard lesson to learn. I think when Paul says God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7) He isn’t just interested in cheerful tithing of money, but also the tithing of our hearts and every aspect of our lives. I know I have a long way to go in this area of my life. I pray in this time of trouble in our world, we will seek God, and do what He asks of us with a grateful, willing spirit.

 

From My Heart to Yours,
Marcie 🙂

 

 

All pictures provided courtesy of www.pixabay.com