This question may not be asked out loud too often, but I am sure people think it! Today, I was challenged to ask this of myself in regards to my relationship with God. David, in 2 Samuel 24, has the opportunity to get something for free and his response caught my attention. I mean, who doesn't want something for free, right?
Let me recount the story for you...
David is near the end of his reign as king and "once again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel." As judgement fell upon the nation in the form of a plague 70,000 people died. But as Jerusalem was about to be destroyed the Lord stopped the death angel at the threshing floor of Araunah. Then sent word to David to build an alter at that spot. As you may be inclined to think today, that was not David's property. David would have agreed, so he went to Araunah to buy the threshing floor from him. Araunah offered to give David the threshing floor as well as oxen for the offering. "But the king replied to Araunah, 'No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.'" David paid him, built the alter and sacrificed his burnt offerings to the Lord.
So, I ask you what I asked myself this morning...What are your offerings costing you? Are you giving up something in order to give to God? Are you making sacrifices to follow him? Or are you simply sliding by giving God only things that have cost you nothing?
These are a few questions that got me thinking today, I hope it does the same for you.
