Then all the leaders and all the people rejoiced, brought their contributions, and put them into the chest until all had given.
--2 Chronicles 24:10 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on July 29, 2013 of Psalm 124; Luke 7:30-50; 2 Chronicles 24-25.
Joash, who was anointed king over Judah at the tender age of seven years old, did what was right in the sight of the Lord for all the remaining days that the priest Jehoiada lived. (His record after Jehoiada's passing was less than stellar, but that is for another study.) At one point, it came upon his heart to repair God's Temple, which had been ransacked and damaged during the reign of his father Ahaziah. Joash ordered the priests and the Levites to quickly go out through all the cities of Judah and gather money from the children of Israel for the repair and maintenance of God's house. When they failed to act quickly as the king commanded, he complained to Jehoiada, reminding him that the law of Moses required that the tabernacle be properly cared for. At the command of the king and his chief priest, a chest was constructed and placed outside at the gate leading into the Temple. Then Joash and Jehoiada together issued a proclamation throughout Jerusalem and all of Judah that the people bring their contributions and deposit them into the chest, the collection imposed upon the people by Moses at God's command while they sojourned in the wilderness. And then what to many of us today might be an amazing thing happened. All the people, including their leaders, not only contributed to this effort, but they rejoiced at the opportunity to do so!
The Apostle Paul tells us in his second letter to the church in Corinth that God loves a cheerful giver (please see 2 Corinthians 9:7), and this is clearly evident in what comes next in our account of Joash's reign. The collection chest filled quickly from the donations of all the people and had to be emptied daily. The people may have felt somewhat compelled to give because of the king's proclamation, but they nonetheless gave freely and abundantly and even with joy because of their love of God. And God responded by providing far more than was needed for the repairs.
God may have ordered that we give for the maintenance of Christ's church, and Jesus may have ordered that we feed His sheep, but we should willingly do so not because we are commanded to, but rather because we want to! Our love of Jesus should flow over and allow us to love and care for our fellow man. Out of this love we should give willingly, cheerfully, generously. Let us rejoice as we make our offering, for God loves a cheerful giver. Amen.
Dearest Jesus, You command us to feed Your lambs, to tend Your sheep. Yet sometimes we give meagerly, if at all, because we feel we have to, or it is expected of us, or others will think us cheap if we don't. But Lord, You want us to be cheerful givers, to want to give because of our love for You and our brothers and sisters in Your name. Lord, please help us remember all that You and our Father give us and to rejoice when we give our offering back to the service of Your kingdom. In Your most holy and precious name, Lord Jesus we pray. Amen.
The Apostle Paul tells us in his second letter to the church in Corinth that God loves a cheerful giver (please see 2 Corinthians 9:7), and this is clearly evident in what comes next in our account of Joash's reign. The collection chest filled quickly from the donations of all the people and had to be emptied daily. The people may have felt somewhat compelled to give because of the king's proclamation, but they nonetheless gave freely and abundantly and even with joy because of their love of God. And God responded by providing far more than was needed for the repairs.
God may have ordered that we give for the maintenance of Christ's church, and Jesus may have ordered that we feed His sheep, but we should willingly do so not because we are commanded to, but rather because we want to! Our love of Jesus should flow over and allow us to love and care for our fellow man. Out of this love we should give willingly, cheerfully, generously. Let us rejoice as we make our offering, for God loves a cheerful giver. Amen.
Dearest Jesus, You command us to feed Your lambs, to tend Your sheep. Yet sometimes we give meagerly, if at all, because we feel we have to, or it is expected of us, or others will think us cheap if we don't. But Lord, You want us to be cheerful givers, to want to give because of our love for You and our brothers and sisters in Your name. Lord, please help us remember all that You and our Father give us and to rejoice when we give our offering back to the service of Your kingdom. In Your most holy and precious name, Lord Jesus we pray. Amen.
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