Araunah tried to give King David land, oxen, and other items for sacrifices, but David insisted on paying Araunah, saying that he could not present to God an offering that cost him nothing.
The heart of faith is that unless you experience some sacrifice, you have not truly given. Until your giving costs you something, something that represents a portion of your very life, then it is not a living gift and will not yield a good harvest. Thus, our giving to God should have these three qualities:
First, it should be our best. Because God has given His best to us, we want to give our best to Him.
Second, we should give to God first. The first thought in our minds after we have received something should be, “How can I give a portion of this harvest to the work of the Lord?”
Third, our giving should be generous, flowing freely and abundantly from our heart. Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matt. 10:8).
