By Alan Parks
Recently, my thoughts have centered on giving. Whenever that happens, it all comes back to our great Exemplar, the Lord Jesus, who gave His all. What initially prompted these thoughts came from 1 Chronicles 29, where David, concerned for his son Solomon, addresses the people. In the passage, Solomon is young, tender, and inexperienced, yet God has chosen Him to build the temple, a dwelling place worthy of the King of Kings. He would need vast supplies of precious metals and costly materials to build the temple to God’s divine standards. David’s appeal begins with himself. He will not ask the leaders and people to do what he wouldn’t, so he offers a promise: he will give from his personal treasury 3,000 talents of the gold of Ophir and 7,000 talents of refined silver.
David’s gift to God was staggering. If a talent weighs between 75 and 125 pounds (34–56.7 kilograms), as scholars estimate today, he contributed approximately 100 tons of gold and 260 tons of silver. When we consider that, at the time of writing this devotional, gold is worth $2,917 (US) per ounce and silver is valued at $32 (US) per ounce, the sum is nearly impossible to fathom. “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small.”1
We must remember that while David gave much, there was undoubtedly more left—a stunning amount yet partial. We think again of our Savior; He gave His all. In 1 John 3:16, we read, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
Do you agree that when we hear about giving, it’s usually about finances? While important, that’s only one part of our giving. We must also commit to giving our time, talents, gifts, and even ourselves to the Lord.
Still, though we aren’t bound by the tithe, we are expected to submit to Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 9:7: “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” History is replete with individuals known for their philanthropy; heaven should be filled with those who properly regarded things temporal versus things eternal and chose correctly.
Luke recorded our Lord’s words on the practical aspects of giving: “He answered and said to them, ‘He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” (Luke 3:11) In the church, the gifts given to us when the Holy Spirit sealed us are also critically important. Gifts given freely are never meant to be buried. “As each one has received a gift,” 1 Peter 4:10 teaches us, “minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
We see a pattern through all of this: others. Our giving is always for God first and then others. In contrast to our self-centered society, God has given us a great many teachings on selfless giving, with one example above all.
Our Lord left His eternal home for one purpose: Others. Us. His life, ministry, teachings, and service were living gifts. His suffering, shame, crucifixion, and bearing of our sin in those agony-filled hours of redemption were the greatest dying gifts ever given. This is our great Example, the One of whom Paul could say, “Just as I also imitate Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)
Giving is not just a large subject to study; it must be a life choice. It has made me wonder—quite a lot, actually—how does my life measure up? It is a question not to be taken lightly.
It’s easy to sing the words “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my heart, my life, my all.” It’s much harder to live them, isn’t it? May God shake us from any carelessness and make us seriously consider the giving of our hearts, our lives, and, indeed, our all.
Alan Parks is a commended worker based in Texas.
Originally published in Missions magazine, March 2025. For more content, sign up for a free subscription (US) to Missions at CMML.us/magazine/subscribe
