I Chronicles 21:24 “And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.”
Re-gifting
Have you ever been guilty of “re-gifting”? That is, you received a gift you don’t care for, so you give it away as a gift to someone else. What’s worse is when you get your own gift back! If we are not careful, we can re-gift God.
Ornan offered his real estate and the materials needed for David to build an altar. David said, “Nay . . . I will not take that which is thine for the LORD.” If David took the gift, it would have cost him nothing to build the altar. He would have simply re-gifted Ornan’s gift!
Be aware that you do not allow others to steal from you the opportunity to give to God. In the end, God doesn’t want what you give; He wants who you are. God wants you! Any gift or service that does not include self does not impress God.
You may have great skill in some area, but God doesn’t need your skill. He is the One who gave it to you! God doesn’t want your skill; He wants you. You may have great wealth, but God doesn’t need your money. He wants you. We are often so focused on what we are giving that we forget how we are giving it.
A person who has given self has nothing more to withhold and nothing more to give. Today, what God wants is you. If He has you, that will take care of everything else!