Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

Daily Devotional – Sunday, December 12, 2021

But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You.

1 Chronicles 29:14 (NKJV)

In the year 1674, Anglican Bishop, Thomas Ken, wrote arguably the most loved doxology in Christendom. The following powerful lyrics from ‘Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow’ are worth our attention:

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

Of Your Own We Have Given You

I believe King David inspired Bishop Ken’s lyrics. The ancient monarch once led his nation in giving willingly and generously towards the construction of the Jerusalem temple. The author of First Chronicles captured the people’s mood aptly:

Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the LORD; and King David also rejoiced greatly. (1 Chronicles 29:9).

As king and chief mobilizer of resources, David could easily have taken credit for the successful exercise. Instead, he extolled God. Here is an excerpt from his song of praise:

But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You. (1 Chronicles 29:14).

We Own Nothing

When we give willingly and others appreciate our generosity, we experience overwhelming joy and satisfaction. This is because a hormone called Dopamine is secreted in our brains. In such moments, it is possible to forget the source of our blessings – God.

In a world where people love to parade their generosity and subtly demand praise for their actions, the words of King David and Bishop Ken should remind us that we own nothing. What we give to others and to God’s work is a small portion of what God has given us in advance.

Genuine Giving Begins and Ends With God

Genuine giving begins with the realization that God is the source of all our blessings and ends with praise to God. If we adopt this attitude, the gospel work will never lack resources and many more people will follow Jesus.

Almighty God, always remind me that You are the source of all I have and that when I give to others and for Your work, all Praise belongs to You.