1 Chronicles 29 Devotional

Giving Back from His Hand

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You.”1 Chronicles 29:14 (BSB)

David gives his personal treasure of gold and silver for the temple and asks who else will consecrate himself to the LORD (29:3-5). The leaders give willingly, and the people rejoice at their wholehearted giving (29:6-9). Then David blesses the LORD before the whole assembly. Greatness, power, glory and the kingdom belong to him, and riches and honor come from him (29:11-12).

At the height of the giving, David asks who they are, that they could give like this. Everything comes from God, and they have only given back what came from his hand (29:14). They are foreigners and strangers before him, with days like a shadow (29:15). The generosity was real, but God never lacked it. It was his own abundance returned to him. David prays that God would keep this desire in his people's hearts (29:18). Paul asks what anyone has that they did not receive (1 Corinthians 4:7). Every gift you offer God starts in his hand, which frees you to give with joy instead of pride.

To think about: How would your giving of time, money or effort change if you saw all of it as coming first from God's hand?