1 Chronicles 29:9 Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart the offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
When all the plans for the temple were in place, the people rejoiced, and David also rejoiced with great joy. And they offered willingly to the Lord with perfect heart. The writer of Chronicles makes the preparing and building of the temple a really big deal, for God was coming to dwell on earth with His people. This truth is a cause of great joy, which led them to offer to the Lord willingly and gladly.
Cheerful Offering is a practical way of expressing the joy of the Lord that overtakes us when we hear, receive, and believe the Gospel. For the great God of the universe has come to dwell in our hearts, as in a temple. God is in us and with us. When we sense and realize that wonderful truth we are naturally overjoyed and we are glad to give God everything.
It is not easy to believe that God lives in our body, that His Presence is right here. The Word and the Spirit convince us that it is really true. The love of God for us produces the Joy of the Lord. Then we offer to give ourselves in the service of others. And making others feel better gives us more joy, and so it multiplies.
We receive “Good News of great joy” with a God-created faith, and our joyful response positively affects all of life. We rejoice and offer willingly, and everyone, both others and our self, feels better.