SOLO Day 51 - 2 Chronicles 30:1-9

You can read today's passage by clicking here

I'm so grateful that God welcomes me back with open arms. Being open-armed is a statement of major commitment. Allow me to elaborate.

If you think about it, being open-armed leaves you quite vulnerable. The area of the body that must be protected most is left completely vulnerable. The major organs are protected only by the thin skin, while the most important of organs, the heart, is protected only by a series of small bones. Stop and think about a God who is willing to leave himself wide open like that. A God that only does this for one thing: us!

It's more than ironic that Jesus would die on a cross with arms spread wide-open. Perhaps he died with arms spread so that we could remember his nature. An open-armed, open-hearted God who will do whatever it takes for us to be willing to accept his embrace!

SOLO Day 38 - 2 Samuel 24:13-25

I extended the passage to include the final 13 verses of the chapter.

I did this because of my own conviction found in the last few verses of chapter 24. David has sinned against God and thousands of people have died due to his error. God has called off the angel delivering the destruction but then tells David to build an alter to him at a specific location. The man who owns the location is Araunah, and he offers to give the land and the sacrifice to David for free. David's response: No way! I'm not going to sacrifice anything that hasn't cost something.

It isn't just the thought that counts-it's the action.

Personally, I probably would have accepted what was offered freely and then chalked it up to God's provision. "God is favoring me because I'm doing what he asked!" But not David. He demands to pay a "good price"-he doesn't even demand a discount. In short, he refuses to give the minimum, because he understands that this represents what he's willing to give to God.

I wonder how this would change our world if we acted the same way. It's not that hard to give something we have plenty of. Ad truthfully, it's pretty easy to give leftovers rather than our best.

Maybe you remember the story of Cain and Abel. Cain killed his brother Abel because God accepted Abel's offering, but rejected his own. But do you know why Cain's offering was rejected? Cain's offering wasn't his best, or his first. His gift didn't honor God and exposed the true nature of his heart! He offered a sacrifice, but it cost him so little. God judged the heart of the offering, and it was rejected. Cain's response was intense bitterness and hatred, when the solution was to simply confess he didn't give his best.

God needs nothing from us and he's not interested in our half-hearted offerings. Our generosity and sacrifice show him our gratitude and the condition of our heart. David understood this, and demanded to give an offering that cost him something-it was important to give God his best!

By the way, this is in no way exclusive to money! What about our time? What about our talents and abilities? What about our very lives? Are we being generous with those things?

Is there any area where you're being stingy with God? Are you withholding your best or what's right in order to get by with the minimum of what's asked of you? May you see that God wants you, wholeheartedly. And may you see that when you give the minimum, it exposes the true condition of your heart.