A Hand Full!

A hand full! Sometimes a child is referred to as being a “hand full” and what is usually meant is the child is a challenge to handle. Perhaps it takes two hands and constant vigilence to corral and guide the energy in a productive direction.

A hand full! When it comes to sharing things, one person might share by picking up with their fingers while another scoops up a “hand full” to offer. The latter person may be considered to be the most generous. Then there are also individuals whose “hand full” would be larger than others simply due to the size of their hands.

Prior to David’s death, he began amassing from his own treasury personal gifts to be used in building the temple under the leadership of his son Solomon. In mentioning his own giving, David encouraged the rest of the nation toward the same kind of willingness in giving GENEROUSLY. After all, everything they had to give had come from the Lord anyway. ( 1 Chronicles 29:14)

As David referred to some of the specific gifts he had set aside we read…
“(3) Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God: (4) 3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the house, (5) and for all the work to be done by craftsmen, gold for the things of gold and silver for the things of silver. WHO THEN WILL OFFER WILLINGLY, CONSECRATING HIMSELF TODAY TO THE LORD?” ( 1 Chronicles 29:3-5 ESV)

It wasn’t forced giving, but a GENEROUS willingness David was seeking to encourage. He urged others to voluntarily follow his example, having not asked anything of others he was not willing to do himself. However, there is an interesting expression in verse five. The Hebrew translated “consecrating” literally refers to “filling his hand” to the Lord. The GENEROSITY being encouraged was not merely picking something up with the fingers, but rather the offering of a “hand full”.

Being consecrated in Christ our lives have been dedicated to God -- belonging to Him ( 1 Peter 2:9) -- and therefore we should view ourselves as being set apart for His use. ( 2 Timothy 2:21) Our lives being consecrated in service to the glory of God, we should recognize there is plenty with which to fill our hands in doing and giving. There is to be a liberalness marking the giving of ourselves in service for God’s divine and holy purposes. Such living is an expression of gratitude for the energy and strength for labor that has come from Him and the acknowledgement that we are merely stewards of what we possess. May we be ever willing to GENEROUSLY fill our hands to the Lord, using all we have to His glory.

Have a great day LIVING TO THE LORD IN LIBERAL USEFULNESS!
Carl

See other teEn-MAIL on Giving