Give the Best

Based on 1 Kings 14-15, Luke 22:31-46

It worries us at times to give our best to God. We fear being different. We fear losing out. We fear not being fulfilled. We fear realizing that our best might not be enough...and sometimes, sadly, other things entice us and we are pulled away from God, and we end up giving our best to someone or something else...

"And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done."

1 Kings 14:22

Both Judah & Israel, the divided kingdoms, had kings which turned away from God...not only was God not pleased with them, but He was jealous because of the desire they had to worship other things beside Him...God is not only angry when we turn away, He is betrayed, because He loves us. It's a relationship! It's more than serving a King, it's a marriage covenant!

"And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem: and he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king's house. And it was so, when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the guard bare them, and brought them back into the guard chamber."

1 Kings 14:25‭-‬28

We can't replace our relationship with God! We know that the value of gold will always be greater than the value of brass, yet the Scriptures above say that when the best gold was taken by Egypt, Rehoboam tried to replace it with brasen forms of the same weaponry. But they knew it wasn't the same. God knew it wasn't the same. In not giving the best, they lost the best!

God never leaves us empty when we give our best! We never lose out! We allow ourselves to lose out when we don't put forth the effort into God's plan & perfect Will for our lives! When we say, "Not my will, but thine be done," we accept a cause more worthy & more great than we could ever imagine!

"...saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, and said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Luke 22:42‭-‬46

Jesus pushed through His flesh & His pains for us. He gave His best! And being alive forever more, He continues to give His best! We don't want Him to find us sleeping or slacking. We don't want Him to find us giving the brass instead of the gold! Just as Jesus was strengthened by the angel, Jesus will always make sure we are strengthened in the process of giving: if it be money, time or talent, God will always restore us beyond what we've given...as has been said time & time again, and it's so true, "We can't out-give GOD!" God uses our best and turns it into enough. If we do not hold back & give our all, He uses it all for His glory! So...let's give our best!