Topic: Sacrificial Giving [Sunday January 7, 2018]
“And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar” (1 Kings 3:4 (KJV)
God is always aware of what we give to Him or the things we do for the kingdom. From the text, you can see that Solomon, though a king, knew he had to give to God like every other person but more importantly, he also knew what to give. He did not appear before the altar in Gibeah like every other person; he chose to be different. He offered a thousand burnt offerings upon the altar. Think about it. Not a few hundreds, but a thousand. He gave so much that God came to him in a dream at night with a blank cheque saying “ask what I shall give thee”.
In verse 9 of that same scripture, we are told that Solomon responded by asking for wisdom and God responded by giving him much more than he asked for because He is the much more God. He gave him wisdom, riches and honour as had never been recorded concerning any other king in Israel.
Beloved, only ‘sacrificial giving’ could have provoked that kind of blessing. Whenever you bring your gifts to the altar, you set in motion a harvest of miracles, and the Heavens open over your life.
No man can out give God. When you give, you are asking Him to multiply your harvest. Don’t ever forget that it is He who gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater. If there was any time to give sacrificially, it is now. Each day you wake up, understand that it is His grace that has made you see another day. The least you can do is to appreciate Him for His love and grace that has kept you alive. One way to show your appreciation is to give. You are not giving because anyone is compelling you to do so, but you are giving in response to all that He has done for you.
Further Reading: 1 Kings 3:3-6, Acts 20:35
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Gen.18,19 / Evening- Matt. 6: 1-18
Written by Dr. Mike Okonkwo; Is the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM); a versatile man of God with over 30 years of dedicated service unto the Lord.
