Daily Devotion: 1 Chronicles 29:6-7

1 Chronicles 29:6-7    "Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly, (7)  And gave for the service of the house of God..."

Every word in the Bible is important. Such an example is the first word for today, "then".   This word indicates a matter of time.  It would not do damage to the verse if it started, "(At that time), the chief of the fathers....offered.... and gave....".  

 Something took place to motivate these men to  offer willingly and to give their service for the house of God. What could have happened? I'm glad you asked.  In the prior verses, (3-5), King David set his affection to the house of God. He gave gold and silver in abundance to make ready for the construction. His heart and mind was established to do everything possible in order for the materials to be available for the building.   "Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly,  And gave for the service of the house of God..."

My thoughts this morning are very pointed.  I often feel the need to be motivated. There is no doubt that the greatest motivator is none other than Jesus Christ. Paul wrote concerning Christ, "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:14)  God's grace, through Jesus Christ, should indeed motivate us to do our very best in all things as though we are doing them unto the Lord.  But there are times when I look around and try to find someone or something that will get my attention and stir zeal within me. It is at that moment that I need to ask myself - Should I not rather be the motivator for someone else?