Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 1:10-20
"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." (Jn 3:16)
A mother once sent her eldest daughter for mission work. News reached her that she was martyred in the mission field. She sent her second daughter who was also killed. She sent her third daughter also to the mission. She was killed too. Her friends gathered to offer their condolences. The mother said to them, "I weep not in bereavement but because I do not have another daughter to be sent for missionary work." Worship is not simply singing and praising. Extravagant giving is another side of worship, which ascends before God as a sweet-smelling aroma.
Hannah the godly mother of Prophet Samuel teaches us this aspect of worship. She told Priest Eli, "For this child I prayed and the Lord has granted me my petition... Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be granted to the Lord... So they worshipped the Lord there" (1 Sam 1:24-28). Offering a bull and worshipping the Lord was a regular and routine act. But giving away one's own baby was rare. Worship that costs us nothing is worth nothing. Abraham called offering of his beloved son as "worship" (Gen 22:5).
I hold the view that if anyone has two children he has one too many to give away to God. God gave away His only Son as a missionary martyr. The Lord spoke to Moses, "Set apart to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and animal; it is Mine" ( Ex 13:1,2). Until Christians take this demand of God seriously, world evangelisation will suffer for want of workers. We don't even influence our children to consider missions as their career. Why then do we go on singing choruses like "He is Lord... Every knee shall bow... Every tongue confess...?"
Another person who teaches us this other side of worship is the sinner woman who anointed Jesus with the fragrant oil. She wept. She washed Jesus' feet with tears. She kissed Him. All this we will do. But the next act was costly. She parted with her precious and expensive perfume. Singing a few more songs and choruses we won't mind. But we will murmur when we are urged to give more than a tenth of our income. If exuberant singing does not lead to extravagant giving, the worship is not hearty.
"If Christ had died for me, no sacrifice for Him
can be too great!" (C.T. Studd, 1862-1931)
