For Kids · 4 min with a grown-up
On David's last big day as king, he and all the people give happily for God's house — and David prays one of the most beautiful prayers in the whole Bible.
Today's Story
It was almost time to build God's house. Old King David stood before all the people with a happy heart. He had been saving up gold and silver and beautiful things for a long, long time. Now he gave it all for God's house — gladly, with joy.
Then David asked the people, “Who else will give to the LORD today?” And oh, how they gave! Everyone brought gifts — gold, silver, jewels, whatever they had. They didn't give grumpily. They gave joyfully, and the whole crowd was filled with happiness.
David was so amazed he began to pray right out loud. “Everything in heaven and on earth is Yours, God! You are the greatest of all!”
Then he said the most important part: “Who am I, and who are my people, that we could give You anything? Everything comes from You. We have only given back to You what was already Yours.”
David understood the secret. The gold was God's. The silver was God's. Even their own hands and hearts were God's. When we give to God, we are only handing back the gifts He gave us first — and that makes us glad.
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- Look around you right now. What is one good thing you have that really came from God in the first place?
- The people gave to God joyfully, not grumpily. Why is it more fun to give when you give with a happy heart?
- David said everything already belongs to God. If even our hands and hearts are gifts from Him, how could you give one of them back to God today?