A Prayer Of David

by G. Jarvie, Glasgow | Category: Prayers Of Scripture | Aug 1973

"All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee" (1 Chron. 29:14).

David's life was filled with prayer, praise and thanksgiving, and 1 Chronicles 29 brings out the great motive in his life. We can see from this chapter why God chose David to be king over his people, Israel. Not only so, but He has chosen David to be prince over His people in millennial days (Ezek. 34:24).

This occasion (1 Chron. 29) was surely the high-water mark in Israel's history. The king, the princes, and the people of Israel were of one heart in willingly giving to God of their treasure for the building of the house of God. The king had called upon his people:

"Who then offereth willingly to consecrate himself this

day unto the LORD?" (v.5).

Then the people offered willingly with a perfect heart. The giving which the Lord wants is first, giving of ourselves, then all other giving will be done with joyful heart. When the king saw the willing giving of his people he rejoiced greatly. This chapter shows clearly, as the Lord said, that "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). There is blessing in receiving but greater blessing in giving.

When David saw the giving and the joy of his people, he spoke out in praise to God:

"Thine, 0 LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine ... Riches and honour come of Thee ... Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee ... But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort?"

David and his people had been blessed from God's abundance, but his chief joy and marvel was not how much they had received, but that they were "able to offer so willingly". That was a blessing indeed! We can learn from David the lesson that it is a poor way of life to live for ourselves. How blest we are when we live for Him who for our sakes died and rose again (2 Cor. 5:15)!

"All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee", cried David. What sound wisdom! We will never be able to give anything that we have not received. It is our privilege to draw from God's resources, His who possesses all things (for He created all things) and to give again to Him.

Not only so, but David saw that this time of receiving and giving was limited; so is ours. He said:

"We are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as all our fathers were: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is no abiding".

We pass this way but once. We brought nothing into the world, for neither can we carry anything out", Wrote Paul (1 Tim. 6:7). We have our opportunity of living for God and of giving joyfully to Him. To live for ourselves is to lose our lives. David learned that lesson and taught it to his people.

When he finished praying and praising God, he said to all the people, "Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers, and bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king".

It was a great day in David's life, and a great day in Israel. His prayer and thanksgiving have a voice for us today, not to live for ourselves but for Him, who for our sakes died and rose again.

G. Jarvie, Glasgow | Aug 1973
Prayers Of Scripture