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“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”

King David of Israel wanted to build a temple for the Lord, but God decided that David would not be the one to build it. Instead, his son Solomon would. If David was disappointed, he didn’t let it show. While he wouldn’t build it, that didn’t mean he couldn’t help assemble the materials and donate from his own personal wealth toward it.

And so that’s what David did. He gave generously, and so did his royal officials. This temple would be the most magnificent building in all of Jerusalem and Israel. It took over 175,000 workers seven years to build it. Massive amounts of stone, cedar, gold, and silver were used in its construction. It’s impossible to put a modern-day price tag on the cost of the construction, but the amount of gold and silver used alone would be close to $300 billion.

King David gave generously, and after he made his donation, he prayed to the Lord. He didn’t pray seeking recognition from God for his generosity. He prayed out of thanksgiving because David rightly recognized that all he had given already belonged to the Lord. All the blessings David had received in life came from God. Giving back to God was a privilege.

The temple would bring glory to God’s holy name for generations. King David and the people of Israel were making an investment that would have returns echoing for eternity.

We don’t have a temple to build, but we do have endless opportunities to give back to the Lord. We do that not just with our money, but with our time, talents, and love. Every act of generosity is an investment in God’s Kingdom that can echo into eternity. Our gifts testify to the greatness of God as we remember that all we have comes from him in the first place.

Gracious Lord, all that I have comes from your generous hand. Thank you for the blessings of life, but above all, thank you for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Teach me to give joyfully and with thanks that I may use my gifts to bring glory to your name. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.