The Outworking of Praise

Read 1 Chronicles 29:13-17.

God promises that as we give of ourselves radically, He will give it back to us (see Luke 6:38). When you give to God in praise, obedience, and thanksgiving, you place yourself in a position to receive more blessings. Giving is part of worship because it not only honors God but also orients our hearts toward His work. While praising God in words alone can be empty, praising God with our substance can confirm the praise-filled life. So praise and giving are inseparable.

Author of some of the most magnificent psalms, David did not praise God with words alone; he praised God with the substance of his life. When God told David that he would not be the one to build His temple, David was not put off. He set aside all he had for the future project though he would not be the one to build it. He acknowledged that even his ability to give in this extravagant way was because of God’s hand (see 1 Chronicles 29:14). David understood that praise is confirmed through sacrificial giving—praise and generosity are interconnected.

First, giving back to God shows that you really believe everything you have belongs to Him. When we praise God through giving, we tangibly affirm that every breath is God’s gift and that we trust Him to provide.

Second, giving back to God is sowing seed for future blessing. God established the principle of sowing and reaping in Genesis, and His desire for His people is abundance, not for selfish gain but that we might abound in generosity (see Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:6-9).

Finally, giving feeds praising, and praising feeds giving. I have never met a generous person whose life was not filled with thanksgiving and praise—and I have never met a person who loved to praise the Lord who was not also a generous giver. They go hand in hand. Not only that but our generosity motivates others.

You see, our praising and giving bear witness to the matchless worth of Christ, creating a hunger for Him in the lives of the lost. So may we live generously, that many souls would come to see the glory of our God through our praise-filled lives.

Prayer: Father, help me to praise and trust You rightly so that I am generous with the resources that You have put into my hands. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.