{"id":44426,"date":"2019-12-31T00:12:52","date_gmt":"2019-12-30T21:12:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=44426"},"modified":"2025-05-06T18:38:33","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T15:38:33","slug":"give-god-what-costs-you-the-most","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2019\/12\/31\/give-god-what-costs-you-the-most\/","title":{"rendered":"Give God What Costs You the Most"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/strong><\/p>\n

God does not desire what is easy, convenient, or leftover. He desires offerings that come from the depth of our hearts\u2014gifts that cost us something. Sacrifice is at the core of biblical worship, and we see this vividly in the life of David and his mighty men.<\/p>\n

\n

1. The Story of David\u2019s Thirst \u2013 A Picture of Sacrificial Love<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2 Samuel 23:13\u201317<\/strong>, David, Israel\u2019s anointed king, was in hiding during a fierce battle with the Philistines. Bethlehem\u2014his hometown\u2014was occupied by the enemy. In a moment of longing, David said:<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!\u201d<\/em> (v. 15)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This was not a command\u2014just a heartfelt desire. But three of David\u2019s warriors heard him and acted. They risked their lives, broke through enemy lines, and brought him the water he longed for.<\/p>\n

Their act reflects deep devotion, loyalty, and sacrificial love<\/strong>. It wasn\u2019t about the water\u2014it was about honoring the heart of their king.<\/p>\n

\n

2. David\u2019s Surprising Response \u2013 Worship over Gratification<\/strong><\/p>\n

Upon receiving the water, David didn\u2019t drink it. Instead:<\/p>\n

\u201cHe refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the Lord.\u201d<\/em> (v. 16)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

David recognized the cost<\/strong> of the water\u2014it symbolized the blood of the men<\/strong> who had risked their lives. He said:<\/p>\n

\u201cFar be it from me, Lord, to do this! Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?\u201d<\/em> (v. 17)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This water became too sacred for personal use\u2014it became a sacrifice<\/strong> worthy only for God. Pouring it out was David\u2019s way of turning the devotion of his men into an act of worship<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This echoes the principle found in Leviticus 17:11 (NIV):<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cFor the life of a creature is in the blood… it is the blood that makes atonement for one\u2019s life.\u201d<\/em>
\nDavid saw the water as symbolic of life itself\u2014thus worthy to be poured before God alone.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

3. A New Testament Reflection \u2013 Christ\u2019s Thirst and Our Response<\/strong><\/p>\n

This story foreshadows Jesus Christ<\/strong>, the Son of David. While on the cross, Jesus cried:<\/p>\n

\u201cI am thirsty.\u201d<\/em> (John 19:28, NIV)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This was not only physical thirst but a cry reflecting His spiritual longing<\/strong> for souls, love, and the fulfillment of His mission. But instead of honor, He was given vinegar<\/strong> (John 19:29)\u2014a symbol of contempt.<\/p>\n

Yet Christ\u2019s thirst continues even today\u2014not for water, but for faithful hearts<\/strong> willing to respond in sacrifice and love.<\/p>\n

In Matthew 25:35\u201340<\/strong>, Jesus makes it personal:<\/p>\n

\u201cI was thirsty and you gave me something to drink\u2026 Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Giving to others sacrificially\u2014whether time, money, or service\u2014is giving to Christ Himself<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

4. Turning Water into Blood \u2013 What Kind of Offerings Do We Give?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many people give to God what\u2019s easy to spare. But God is not honored by convenience. The question is: Do we give what costs us?<\/strong><\/p>\n

David refused to offer to God something that cost him nothing:<\/p>\n

\u201cI will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.\u201d<\/em>
\n(2 Samuel 24:24, NIV)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

True worship involves sacrifice<\/strong>. That\u2019s why Romans 12:1<\/strong> tells us:<\/p>\n

\u201cOffer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God\u2014this is your true and proper worship.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When we give what truly costs us\u2014time, money, possessions, comfort\u2014we give not just water<\/strong>, but blood<\/strong>. It becomes a holy offering.<\/p>\n

Even if it\u2019s small, what matters is the cost<\/strong>. Like the poor widow<\/strong> in Mark 12:41\u201344<\/strong>, who gave two small coins, Jesus praised her above the rich because:<\/p>\n

\u201cShe, out of her poverty, put in everything\u2014all she had to live on.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

5. The Eternal Reward of Costly Giving<\/strong><\/p>\n

When we give sacrificially, heaven sees it not just as a gift, but as a testimony. Revelation honors those who have poured out their lives<\/strong> for Christ:<\/p>\n

\u201cThey triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.\u201d<\/em>
\n(Revelation 12:11)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While not all are called to physical martyrdom, we are all called to lay down our lives<\/strong> in surrender. Sacrificial giving places us among the ranks of those who share in the testimony of Christ<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Conclusion: Offer What Costs You<\/strong><\/p>\n

God is not asking for what is easy. He is asking for what is real<\/strong>.
\nLet us not settle for giving God what is leftover, but let\u2019s offer Him what matters most<\/strong> to us\u2014just as those three warriors did for David.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s give:<\/strong><\/p>\n