WHEN YOU HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO GIVE by Mary York for Core Christianity
I sat on a mattress on the floor of an empty room, resting from the bleak task of helping a friend move residences under unfortunate circumstances. The gloom and emptiness of our situation covered me like a blanket as I scrolled through my daily Bible reading. And there I read a prayer of David: “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (1 Chr. 29:14).
These words of gratitude poured forth from the shepherd boy-turned-king as he and the people of Israel presented offerings to God during the building of the temple. David highlights that it’s the Lord who raises kings and kingdoms; it is God who gives wealth and bestows blessings. So, as he delivers his song of praise before the assembly, it’s fitting that he asks, “Who am I? And who are we?”
The question contrasted poignantly with the one I asked myself that week as my friend and I picked through the remnants of a difficult season—despairingly, “Why me? Why us?” In the midst of such sadness, with my own worries and wants looming about me too, I felt like I had little left to give to the needs of my friend.
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This prayer of David shook me gently with renewed understanding of God’s provision and why that shapes how we give, trust, and obey.
Give in Faith
David’s prayer continues: “Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you” (1 Chr. 29:16).
In a time where the affluence of the age leaks into even the most modest lifestyles, it can be a struggle to connect wealth and provision with its source. We don’t always recognize that our time, talents, opportunities, and resources are from God, and that we have been called to use them diligently, generously, and cheerfully (Rom. 12:6-8).
