Developing a generous heart

« And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. » (2 Chronicles 5:6)

One of the things that preceded the manifestation of God’s glory in the temple that Solomon built was the transport of the ark of the covenant out of the city of David up to the temple mount: « And they brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the Levitical priests brought them up. » (2 Chronicles 5:5). The reaction of the people of Israel was stunning : there was such fervor, such passion, such zeal that the priests couldn’t keep up with number of sacrifices made on the altar. This is an amazing illustration of the extravagance of the congregation, simply because they appreciated the presence of God in their midst!

God is profoundly moved by the generosity of His people. His heart is touched when our thoughts turn away from our own needs and desires and aspirations and seek in a very tangible way to bring honour to His name. He always responds by producing abundance. For example, when we are generous with our praises, we receive an abundance of joy. When we are generous with our worship, we receive an abundance of revelation. When we are generous with our finances, we receive an abundance of favor.

Generosity is in fact the language of heaven. This is seen in the revelation that John received : « And whenever the living creatures GIVE glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They CAST THEIR CROWNS before the throne, saying, « Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. » (Revelation 4:9-11) We would do well to learn that language while we are here on earth! True worshippers never think about themselves; they only think about how to honor and magnify the One they are worshipping! They do not withhold their sacrifices from the One who is worthy. They do not justify their reticence to give by their human calculations and carnal reasoning. Their generosity is fuelled by faith, and their faith is expressed by their actions. A generous heart will always be a trigger for the supernatural. Jesus can feed the multitudes when we are willing to sacrifice what we were keeping for ourselves, and like the little boy, bring Him our five loaves and two fish!

ACTION POINT: Starting today, set aside the first part of your salary every month as a sacrifice for the Lord.

PRAYER TARGET: Renounce doubt and unbelief and ask God to create in you a generous heart that seeks to honor Him above all.