GIVING SHOULD BE VOLUNTARY AND OUT OF THE HEART
The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the people of Israel to bring me their sacred offerings. Accept the contributions from all whose hearts are moved to offer them. (Exodus 25:1-2 NLT).
Offerings should be given voluntarily and come out of hearts so they can be blessed by God. The person giving the offering should give voluntarily and out of the heart to be blessed.
God told Moses to accept the offerings of those who gave with a generous heart, and that leads me to think he was implying that there were other offerings he shouldn’t accept. In other words, offerings of people who were forced to do it, or those who did it out of guilt or pressure.
People with a heart like Judas’ feel pain, remorse, and bitterness when they give to God or people. But, on the contrary, generous people’s hearts don’t hurt when they give.
Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need. (Deuteronomy 15:10-11 NLT).
A generous heart feels joy when giving. God doesn’t want us to give out of necessity, pressure, or guilt.
You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” (2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT)
The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the people of Israel to bring me their sacred offerings. Accept the contributions from all whose hearts are moved to offer them. (Exodus 25:1-2 NLT)
Think about it:
Have you given to God out of pressure or gratitude?
Is there something you are grateful to God for?
What blessings have you received from God when you have given an offering in an attitude of gratitude?
