Today’s 333 Devotional: “Let’s Stop Counting”

Can we give to the Lord anything less than everything?

Isn’t it amazing how meticulous we are when it comes in recounting to the Lord what we have given and what we have sacrificed? Even in our giving to God our tithes and offerings we’re all about trying to figure out how much we should give with our eye on how much we can keep.

This was the issue back in Jesus’ day, and what Jesus called the people on the carpet for.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” (Matthew 23:23)

They were so concerned about what was God’s and what was theirs that they forgot what following the Lord was truly all about.

Let’s therefore stop trying to figure out how much is God’s and how much is ours and start realizing that it’s all God’s to begin with and give accordingly.

When God commissioned the tabernacle to be built Moses called for the people to give an offering towards its construction, and it says that the people were offering so much towards the work of God’s dwelling place that Moses and the elders had to restrain them from giving any more. (Exodus 36:1-7)

They saw what God had done, how they were once slaves to the Egyptians, and now they are a free people though God’s mighty deliverance.

We see a similar example of such giving in the sacrifices the people gave at the dedication of the temple. They gave so much that they lost count.

“King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude.” (1 Kings 8:5)

So, let’s stop counting and start giving, because God gave us the greatest gift of them all, His Son, Jesus Christ, for our sins.