We are less than a month away from Commitment Sunday, which is August 12, 2007. On that Sunday, we will be bringing before the Lord our First Fruits Offering (Cash Gift) and our three year monthly commitment Pledge Card.

Three thousand years ago, another group of people gathered to give an offering for a building program. Their offering was for the Temple that was to be built in Jerusalem. It is estimated that over $400 million was given in that offering.

After the offering was given, King David prayed the following in 1 Chronicles 29:10-19:
“Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O Lord, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all.

Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name.

But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from Thee, and from Thy hand we have given Thee…

O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build Thee a house for Thy name, it is from Thy hand, and all is Thine.

Since I know, O my God, that Thou triest the heart and delightest in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Thy people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to Thee.

O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, preserve this forever in the intentions of the heart of Thy people, and direct their heart to Thee…”

This is an incredible prayer offered by a grateful king after the people of God gave their offerings to the Lord for the building of the Temple.

From this prayer, we learn that the kind of commitment, which leads to generous giving, comes from the merging of three things.

First, we must recognize that we revere a glorious and great God who deserves to be worshipped. It is in the context of that recognition that we can make a commitment of generosity.

Secondly, we realized that all things come from God. Everything we own and possess comes from Him and belongs to Him. We are merely joyfully returning to Him a portion of what He has entrusted to us.

Thirdly, we have a heart that is directed to the Lord and not to the things of this earth. Jesus said, “…for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:21

It is my earnest and heartfelt desire that I can utter the verse 17 after Commitment Sunday when David prayed, “…so now with joy I have seen Thy people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to Thee…”

May we all rejoice together on that day.