Giving God that which costs you nothing
24 Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.25 And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel.
[2 Samuel 24:24&25]
King David numbers the people of Israel (conducts Population Census) contrary to God’s command. God is displeased and gives him three options to choose one: famine in the land for 7 years, beingpursued by his enemies for 3 months while he flees and or pestilence in the land for 3 days. After some deep thinking, David chooses the pestilence. He reckons that it’s better to fall in into the hands of God that that of man, because great are His mercies.
Within 3 days, over 70,000 people had die. Then the Angel God sent to cause the havoc is seen in the air, over the field of a man called Araunah. He wants to strike one more time and God tells him it’s enough. The Angel stays his sword.
King David is told by the prophet to go and buy get the land and sacrifice to God there. David personally goes to the man’s house for negotiations. The man wants to give the land, his oxen and firewood -everything required for the sacrifice free. King David simply rejects that. He insisted he won’t sacrifice to God that which costs him nothing. He therefore buys the things at the market price and performs the sacrifice. Then the land is healed.
Friends, anytime we give God that which costs us nothing, we are giving sacrifices of fools. When we give Him One Cedi or Dollar when we can afford 10, we miss the mark. It’s not so much about quantum, I must add. It’s about the percentage of what we have given. A widow gives two mites and Jesus praises her because she gives 100 percent of what she has compared to the rich who might have offered God the change on their grocery.
Every month, let’s give God at least the minimum requirement of 10 percent of our substance. Occasionally, let’s give sacrificially. We’re guaranteed a 100 return, according to the Holy Scriptures; and it works. May we receive the revelation of not giving to God that which costs us nothing in the Name of Jesus. Amen
