Hammer on Anvil '

Recently in my devotions I was reading from 2 Samuel 24. David had sinned against the Lord, and was instructed by Gad to build an altar. David set about his task immediately. He asked a man named  Araunah to sell him his threshing floor, which would become the site of the altar.

Since David was the king, Araunah humbly bowed before him, and told David he could have the threshing floor free of charge. David's response is what I want to focus on today: "I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing."

What does it mean to sacrifice to God offerings that cost me nothing? It could mean any number of things. It could mean my "devotional time" is a few seconds at the end of a busy day, rather than rising while it is still dark to soak in His presence before the day begins. It could mean doing everything I want to do with "my" money, and tossing Him the crumbs I have leftover. It could mean only ministering to the needy when it fits conveniently into my schedule.

The missing link in these scenarios is that no sacrifice is involved -- and sacrifice is precisely what Jesus calls us to do. Rising while it is still dark may mean getting less sleep. Giving to God the first fruits of your finances (as we are instructed to do in Proverbs 3:9) may mean sacrifice in other areas of your spending. Being available to God 24 hours a day requires sacrifice. He may awaken you at 2 a.m. to pray for somebody. An acquaintance from church may call in the middle of the night, desperate for prayer and some words of encouragement. You may need to visit someone in the hospital, when you would prefer to enjoy an evening at home with family.

David was unwilling to offer to God that which cost him nothing. Yet many Christians prefer to remain in their comfort zones, and wince at the thought of sacrificing their time or money.

Romans 12:1 urges us to offer our very bodies as living sacrifices. My prayer for 2014 is that Christians everywhere would desire to "be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). I pray that we would remember that we are not our own; we were bought with the precious blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:20) and are to honor Him in all that we do.

Instead of focusing on our possessions and how many more things we think we need, let's think of how little we can get by with, in order that we may bless someone else less fortunate. Instead of hoarding our savings, consider giving sacrificially to a worthwhile ministry, or travel to a third-world country yourself and be broken bread and poured-out wine to the poverty-stricken and HIV-infected.

The opportunities are endless. All Jesus requires of us is that we be completely HIS.

Matthew 25:37... Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 The King replied, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
Give. 

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27 Jesus came to “proclaim good news to the poor…to proclaim freedom for the prisoners…set the oppressed free.” (Luke 4) Amen!

And He calls EVERY Christian to the same kind of radical giving. 


¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

The district didn't have school on Friday. Woot! This means the States (that's what we call our two children) and I had oodles of time to prepare for Christmas.This means attacking the playroom, which started to look like how my friends' dads described Dresden. Barricades and casualties everywhere. Egads. When my kids play, they play with fervor, my goodness. So we cleaned, really cleaned, the playroom. We cranked the tunes and sorted stuff (in this case, toys) into piles of specials, donate, re-purpose and trash. Halfway through the assorted disaster of the playroom, my daughter said, "We should donate my Barbie house."

Indie and I looked up, baffled. "But you love Barbies, sweetie," I said to her. "Yes," she touted, "I love Barbies, but I never play with that ginormous house."

She's right. She doesn't play with it ... and it is a ginormous house. She enjoys it, but she knows others would enjoy it more. I had no idea why we were holding on to it.

"Well, okay. I'll have Daddy haul it in the truck over to the D.A.V on his next day off," I said.

"Oh no. Don't do that, Mom. Christmas is coming. We need to give it away now," and with that she went to work sprucing up the old place, preparing for it to find a new home.

"Honey," I interjected, "I don't know who to give this to - or how to give it to them before Christmas. It's huge. But, it's a great idea ... I just don't think we can do it."

"Of course we can, Mom," she said confidently. "Can we get it to the street?" Missouri laid out her plan of hosting what sounded to be a drive-by free store. When her excitement was reigned back on track we all three worked to get that huge house out to the curb. We made a real fun FREE sign and taped it down to the toy's grand balcony. Then we all scampered away to the less blustery sun porch. It was freezing. The States then planted themselves on the floor and beamed, while watching every car drive by.

Then, without prompting, they BOTH began to pray. My daughter led the prayer by saying, "God, thank You for giving me toys." Then they took turns thanking God and prayed that God would use this as a gift and let the dollhouse bless someone else to believe. It was about the coolest prayer I have ever heard.

Without missing a beat, Indie looked up and said, "Excuse me. What if a ninja steals it?! And then no one gets the house present at all, ever?!" Missouri laughed and said, "Indie, we are supposed to give. It doesn't matter what ninjas do."

Well, that's it, friends. We need to give. It doesn't matter what anyone else might do or is doing. It doesn't even matter whether or not jerk ninjas take it away. We are just asked to give.

My concordance says the Bible uses the word give 13,501 times. Why? Clearly, giving is important!

So you guys are thinking, "Does giving just mean handing over my money?" No! God asks us to give what has already been given to us. "Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you" (Deuteronomy 16:17).

If you have been given food - Give food.
If God has given you lots of free time - Give your time to help others.
If God has given you extra funds - Give financially.
If God has given you mercy  - Give mercy.
If God has given you skill or a craftsmanship - Use that skill to help others.

It's really very simple. We were not asked to delegate where our gift goes or what others do with it. We cannot control what others choose to do or not to do. God has given them free will - but we believers are called to give. Give without reward. Just give. You don't get to choose what happens with that gift or even whether or not ninjas try to steal it. Just give. Give love. Give mercy. Give light. Give childlike faith. Give hope. Give because God has given us all so much.

This Christmas I hope you all had food to eat, a warm place to sleep and lovely people to share life with. And, cause I am a five-year-old at heart, I even hope you got something special to celebrate all that God has given us. (I got a pear in my stocking! I don't know the last time I ate a pear. It was super delicious.)

Friends, let's worry less about what others are doing, or what ninjas might do, and spend more time focused on what we were asked to do.

 Give more. Hope more. Love more.

I am happy to report that within an hour the dollhouse was taken elsewhere. We prayed it would bless whomever it was given to and we believed it was so. And then we enjoyed the open space with a stuffed animal dance party.

We have been given much. Now, let's get excited and creative and let's give more.