Yours, to You

Bible Passage: 1 Chronicles 29:1-19

18°C. Cloudy. The summit of Mount Yoichi is covered with a crown of clouds again today. The mountain is faintly blurred by the mist. Yesterday, on my way back from the hospital, I was invited to have handmade soba noodles and was treated to a meal. It was elegant, thin-cut soba, just like the earnest person he is. I am truly grateful for such a blessing after our long-awaited reunion. The baby leaves in the planter seem to have grown another millimeter. Since I couldn't get all the tools I needed yesterday, I'll go out to buy some small items today. I praise God and sit before His Word.

Willingly and Abundantly

In his later years, David speaks to the whole assembly. His son Solomon is still young and inexperienced, but the work is great. "For the temple is not for man, but for the Lord God" (29:1). That is why David has prepared with all his might. Large quantities of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and precious stones.

That is not all. David says he will even offer the gold and silver he held as his own treasure for the joy of God's temple (29:3). Then he calls out to the assembly, "Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?" (29:5). Then the leaders of the families and the people offered willingly. Because they offered with a whole heart, the people rejoiced, and David also rejoiced greatly (29:9). It was not that they were commanded and gave reluctantly. Overflowing gratitude became an overflowing offering.

Yours, to You

David praises the Lord before the whole assembly. "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours" (29:11). Then comes the confession that pierces the essence of the offering: "For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you" (29:14). He continues, "O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own" (29:16).

Here is everything. What we offer was not ours to begin with. Everything is received from God. Therefore, to offer is not to let go of a portion of one's own property, but to return to God what is His. We are but sojourners on earth, and our days pass like a shadow (29:15). Our lives, our health, our daily bread, our gifts—not one thing was produced by our own power.

God Looks at the Heart

David prays, "I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness" (29:17). What God looks at is not the size of the amount offered, but with what heart it was offered. Not forgetting that we have received, and offering willingly, joyfully, and with gratitude—God delights in that upright heart.

The bowl of soba I had yesterday was also a blessing received from God through the hands of a friend. We who are always receiving, at the very least, return a little of what we have received in gratitude. To offer must surely be that. Instead of clutching what is in our hands, we open them and hand it back to the original owner. At that moment, the reluctance disappears, and only joy remains.

A Word from the Author

When you offer something—whether it is an offering, time, or service—do you feel like you are "letting go of a part of what is yours," or do you feel like you are "returning what you originally received from God"? Even for the same act, the heart is completely different. The former leaves behind reluctance and secret pride. The latter leaves behind gratitude and joy. David asked, "Who am I?" and confessed that everything was received from His hand. What do you consider "your own" today, and what do you accept as "given"?

※ The Bible is quoted from the New Japanese Bible 2017. ※ This article was created using AI (Claude, Anthropic) with the author's perspective and editing added. The author takes final responsibility for the content.

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