Each Christmas my wife and I face this challenge. What do you give someone who seemingly has everything? It’s a tough decision. We certainly want to give items that will be appreciated, but given our budget and given their possessions, that is a hard task. We have discovered that giving something with some kind of significance attached to it is the answer. Trinkets, toys, and techno gadgets are too expensive, too temporary, and too meaningless!
Now the task of giving becomes enormous when you turn from thinking of friends and family to thinking of God! He really and truly owns it all! In Psalm 50:10-12 the Lord declares that every beast, every cattle, every bird, everything that moves, the world, and all its fullness is His! The point was that when Israel sacrifices animals to God, they are not really “giving” Him anything. He already owns them.
What do we give God? Our lives? Not really, He owns those. Our breath? Not really, He owns that. Our tithe and offerings? Not really, He owns our money. What do we give to the One who owns it all?
Part of the answer is found in Psalm 50:23, “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies Me.”
Thanksgiving is giving to God because thanksgiving acknowledges it is all God’s to begin with! Secondly, thanksgiving gives the glory to God, and that is our chief end in life! Giving glory to God, glorifying God, living to and for His glory, these are ways in which we give to God. The ONLY ways in which we can give to God!
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