Pastor Jim's Note: This is the third in a series. If you have not read the Great Giver and the Receiver, we suggest you do so.
“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you." 1 Chronicles 29:14 ESV
If God gives all and I receive all, then the third thought is very simple— I must give all back again. What a privilege that for the sake of having me in loving, grateful intercourse with Him, and giving me the happiness of pleasing and serving Him, the Everlasting God should say, “Come now, and bring Me back all that I give.” And yet people say, “Oh, but must I give everything back? Brother, don’t you know that there is no happiness or blessedness except in giving to God! David felt it. He said: “Lord, what an unspeakable privilege it is to be allowed to give that back to Thee which is Thine own!” Just to receive and then to render back in love to Him as God, what He gives. Do you know what God needs you for? People say, “Does not God give us all good gifts to enjoy?” But do you know that the reality of the enjoyment is in the giving back? Just look at Jesus—God gave Him a wonderful body. He kept it holy and gave it as a sacrifice to God. This is the beauty of having a body. God has given you a soul; this is the beauty of having a soul—you can give it back to God. People talk about the difficulty they meet with in having so strong a will. You never can have too strong a will, but the trouble is we do not give that strong will up to God, to make it a vessel in which God can and will pour His Spirit, so as to fit it to do splendid service for Himself.
We have now had the three thoughts: God gives all; I receive all; I give up all. Will you do this now? Will not every heart say, “My God, teach me to give up everything?” Take your head, your mind with all its power of speaking, your property, your heart with its affections—the best and most secret—take gold and silver, everything, and lay it at God’s feet and say, “Lord, here is the covenant between me and Thee. Thou delightest to give all, and I delight to give back all.” God teach us that. If that simple lesson were learnt, there would be an end of so much trouble about finding out the Will of God, and an end of all our holding back, for it would be written, not upon our foreheads, but across our hearts, “God can do with me what He pleases; I belong to Him with all I have.” Instead of always saying to God, “Give, give, give,” we should say, “Yes, Lord, Thou dost give, thou dost love to give, and I love to give back.” Try that life and find out if it is not the very highest life. -Andrew Murray, The Deeper Christian Life
“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you." 1 Chronicles 29:14 ESV
If God gives all and I receive all, then the third thought is very simple— I must give all back again. What a privilege that for the sake of having me in loving, grateful intercourse with Him, and giving me the happiness of pleasing and serving Him, the Everlasting God should say, “Come now, and bring Me back all that I give.” And yet people say, “Oh, but must I give everything back? Brother, don’t you know that there is no happiness or blessedness except in giving to God! David felt it. He said: “Lord, what an unspeakable privilege it is to be allowed to give that back to Thee which is Thine own!” Just to receive and then to render back in love to Him as God, what He gives. Do you know what God needs you for? People say, “Does not God give us all good gifts to enjoy?” But do you know that the reality of the enjoyment is in the giving back? Just look at Jesus—God gave Him a wonderful body. He kept it holy and gave it as a sacrifice to God. This is the beauty of having a body. God has given you a soul; this is the beauty of having a soul—you can give it back to God. People talk about the difficulty they meet with in having so strong a will. You never can have too strong a will, but the trouble is we do not give that strong will up to God, to make it a vessel in which God can and will pour His Spirit, so as to fit it to do splendid service for Himself.
We have now had the three thoughts: God gives all; I receive all; I give up all. Will you do this now? Will not every heart say, “My God, teach me to give up everything?” Take your head, your mind with all its power of speaking, your property, your heart with its affections—the best and most secret—take gold and silver, everything, and lay it at God’s feet and say, “Lord, here is the covenant between me and Thee. Thou delightest to give all, and I delight to give back all.” God teach us that. If that simple lesson were learnt, there would be an end of so much trouble about finding out the Will of God, and an end of all our holding back, for it would be written, not upon our foreheads, but across our hearts, “God can do with me what He pleases; I belong to Him with all I have.” Instead of always saying to God, “Give, give, give,” we should say, “Yes, Lord, Thou dost give, thou dost love to give, and I love to give back.” Try that life and find out if it is not the very highest life. -Andrew Murray, The Deeper Christian Life
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