14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, And of Your own we have given you.

As chapter 29 opens up, we find King David encouraging the people of Israel to contribute toward the building and furnishing of the temple. The people respond in a selfless manner, giving gold and other precious stones. David stops when it is all done and offers a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to God on behalf of the gifts of the people as their worship. In his prayer, David acknowledges where the resources had come from. In essence, David says, “Everything comes from you, and we have given to you only what comes from your hand.”

Would you ask your child to go to the store to buy bread without giving them the money to buy the bread? As an employer, would you hire a staff without having the money for salaries? No. Would God ask you to go through a difficult or dark time in life without giving us the strength we need? No. Would God ask us to minister in His name as the NT church today without leaders in the church? No. We have been given the resources that we need from God for our everyday lives. In the same way parents provide for the needs of their children, our Heavenly Father is prepared to meet our need. The problem that we as believers have in this area can be summed in the following statement: “We want the resources that we do not need”.

We want the resources that come in a catalogue, from a conference, or from a book or brochure. God gives us what we need today. God has made the provision for us. He is willing to give to His people. We often mirror the Israelites who were wandering in the wilderness. God gave them manna. They were not satisfied with   enough for just one day. They tried to collect enough for two days and it spoiled. It was a lesson in trust for the Israelites, as it is for us today. The lesson in being good stewards is this: God gives willingly, but he gives you what you need for today. You do not get tomorrow’s grace today.