David went to Araunah to purchase his threshing floor in order to build an altar to God. When Araunah offered it to him free, here is David's reply: "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to The Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." (II Samuel 24:24).
Two weeks ago, on Fri, Feb. 14, my good friend of 40 years, Rev. Jim Harnish wrote the following in The Upper Room devotional booklet; it's as good a commentary on the verse above as I have seen so I share it with you now:
I'm a pastor. I was signing letters thanking people for their financial commitments to our church when one letter caught my eye. The commitment was for 25 cents per week, which would have seemed insignificant except that is came from a first-grade child. That commitment card may have been the most important in the stack, not because of the size of the gift but because of what it meant to the giver and what it would continue to mean in the years to come. It reminded me of what my parents taught me: The first ten percent of what I earned delivering the Pittsburgh Press belonged to God. I started tithing then, and I've been doing it ever since.
Reading that card also made me think about the future. I have no idea where the child's path may lead. The practice of financial discipline that I see beginning with that card could someday turn into the largest pledge made to a congregation. The involvement with God's work may lead into a life's work that changes many people's lives.
The same day I signed that letter, a couple came to talk with me about how they might give a large gift to enable our congregation to greatly extend its ministry. The size of the two gifts differed greatly, but the spirit in which they were given was the same.
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