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From the Archive:

What Will We Give to God?

By DAVID DIESTELKAMP

“I need a gift for a sleeping newborn baby. DRUM SOLO!” say the memes poking fun at the “Little Drummer Boy” song. The boy didn’t think he had anything to give to the newborn King, so he gave the best he had—he played his drum for Him. Though not intended to be deeply theological, “Little Drummer Boy” speaks to something we struggle with more than the challenge of not disturbing a sleeping baby: What will we give to God? Is our best good enough?

The question, “What will we give to God?” goes all the way back to the first acts of worship recorded in Scripture. Cain and Abel brought offerings to the Lord. Cain brought “an offering of the fruit of the ground” and Abel brought “of the firstborn of his flock” (Gen 4:3-4). The Lord “respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering” (Gen 4:4-5). What God “respects” (“looks with favor” NIV; “regards” ESV, NASB) is what we want, right? It’s the reason for worship, sacrifice, and service, right?

There have been a lot of debates about why God accepted Abel’s sacrifice but not Cain’s. We know that “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks” (Heb 11:4 ESV). Giving to God isn’t about just giving whatever we have that happens to be our best. Abel’s faith and sacrifice still proclaim the importance of giving to God what He respects and what He accepts.

Knowing what God respects and accepts so we can give to God in faith isn’t a guessing game. Faith is based on God’s word (Rom 10:17). We can’t know the mind of God (what He respects and accepts) unless it is revealed to us. The Spirit—Who searches the deep things of God—reveals the mind of God through the words of Scripture (1 Cor 2:1-16). Paul is saying that what God accepts is no longer a mystery.

Some years ago, a man who was searching for a church said he would never be part of a church that didn’t use instrumental music because he wanted to give to God his gift, talent, and ability to play instruments. On the surface, giving something valuable seems admirable; but it is dangerously close to Cain and the “Little Drummer Boy.” We need to ask this question—has God said that He accepts what is being given? And more to the point, what should the response be when God doesn’t accept what is offered?

Cain famously responded poorly when God rejected his sacrifice. First, “Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell” (Gen 4:5). Later, his jealously drove him to kill his brother Abel. We would never respond like this, or would we?

Do we give what God wants or what we want to give? I can think of reasons why Cain would want to give God his vegetables. He was a farmer and that’s what farmers have; and it’s what they produce and value. It was a sacrifice for Cain and it was given to God! But this is not all that matters. The will of God matters. Do we check to see what God wants as revealed in His word before we give to Him, worship Him, and offer Him service? Are we giving what we want, what we like, and what we value, or are we giving what God says He wants? Are we sure God will accept what we offer?

How do we respond when God doesn’t accept what we offer? Do we get angry like Cain when we find out that God doesn’t accept what we try to give Him? Do we assume that God wouldn’t reject something because we like it or a lot of people do it? We would do well to listen to what God said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted?” (Gen 4:6-7). Getting angry and pouting in disbelief doesn’t change the will of God. If God doesn’t accept what we offer, we need to change what we offer and not blame God or His messengers who show us His word.

Warning: Sin is close! When God saw that Cain responded negatively to what should have been a positive learning experience, God said, “And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Gen 4:7). In other words, Cain’s negative response would lead to sin if he didn’t control it. Anger, pride, and not acting in faith do not draw us closer to God (Ja 1:20). Humility and submission bring us to serving God as He wills, doing the things He accepts; and faith causes us to repent and change when we discover we have done something God doesn’t accept. We want to know what He wants and offer to Him what He wants!

Cain did the unthinkable. Cain didn’t rule over his anger and did the unthinkable. Cain murdered his brother “because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous” (1 Jn 3:12). Our selfish, jealous pride can cause us to do unthinkable things. Even the desire to give to God can cause us to hurt our brothers and sisters in Christ,
divide churches, and even abandon the Lord if our desire is rooted in what we want and respect rather than what God wants and respects.

So, what do we do when God doesn’t accept what we give? Do we become incredulous and insulted? Let us remember that even our best isn’t good enough for the God of all creation. Therefore, our primary obligation is to listen to God with faith, trust, and humility, and let Him tell us what it is that He respects and accepts. David Diestelkamp

davdiestel@yahoo.com

Giving Thought to What You Put On

By AL DIESTELKAMP

In His sermon on the mount, Jesus identified some things about which we don’t need to worry, including what we “put on” our bodies. Jesus stated that the body “is more than clothing” (Matt. 6:25). The King James Version of this text reads, “Take no thought…for your body, what ye shall put on.” While Jesus was teaching reliance on God for the necessities of life, perhaps some Christians literally “take no thought” to what they put on when preparing to take part in public worship. I am not calling for a return to a time when almost all men attended worship in suits and ties and women in dresses. That ship has sailed! However, I believe thought should be given to what we wear in every situation which includes engaging in public worship honoring the King of Kings. Most of us are careful to dress respectfully in other public gatherings, so why is it too much to ask that we do so when we assemble for worship? Clothing styles in almost all situations have been trending downward from “dressy” to increasingly more casual over the past several decades. One only has to view photos of attendees at major league baseball games...

“If Only”

By NOAH DIESTELKAMP

We have all said it. We have all heard it. Something in our lives is deficient. Some circumstance is less than ideal. Some resource is too scarce. Some action is too difficult. Some relationship is too awkward. “I would love to, if only…” I do not deny that we all have limits. No one can do everything all the time without missing opportunities. Yet, ironically, when we focus on our limitations, we often miss opportunities! If we wait until our budget is “just so” and the circumstance is “just right” and our understanding of Scripture is “finally there” (and the list could go on), we will never take action. Scripture offers many exhortations to “do,” even if what we are able to do is limited (e.g. Matt. 7:24-27; Jas. 1:22-25; 2:14-17; Col. 3:17-24). For today, I encourage you to consider 1 Jn. 3:16-18: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in...

Embracing Shadows

By ANDY DIESTELKAMP

The wounded soldier sat alone waiting in anticipation. He had recently returned home from the battle lines where the darkness of foxholes and trenches had been his only protection from the enemy’s concerted efforts to destroy him. He was thankful for being rescued, and he was anxious to see his beloved. When the door to his hospital room opened, shadows entered and danced on the wall opposite him. His heart raced. He stood. He stared. As the shapes became more distinct, he ran toward them excitedly. When the woman appeared, she saw her wounded husband embracing the shadows. She called his name, but he would not let go of the wall. She said it was time to go home, but he preferred to zealously cling to the shadows rather than turn and face and embrace reality. Were we to witness something pathetic like this, it would make us feel very sad. We would conclude that PTSD had claimed yet another victim. Nobody in his right mind would choose to embrace shadows over the actual person. Perhaps this opening scene gives us some insight into Paul’s concern for Israel. He had great sorrow and continual grief in his heart for his...

The Real Enemy

By MATT HENNECKE

I’m heading off to a local coffee and cinnamon roll establishment in a few minutes. A young man and I meet on Tuesday mornings to discuss things religious. We’re currently reading and discussing Paul Earnhart’s book Invitation to a Spiritual Revolution. The book explores Jesus’ sermon on the mount. It’s easy to read, hard to live. That’s true of the Bible, too.

It’s been a hard week. An assassination of a young man—which should have been a wakeup call to the dangers of over-the-top political animosity—has, instead, increased the vitriol, tension, and hatred that characterizes our country. Name calling has become the norm, and it often explodes into violence. Of course, Jesus addressed such behavior head-on when he cited the second greatest command, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Don’t fool yourself into justifying hatred of Democrats or Republicans because they’re not your neighbors. Of course they are. In the parable of the good Samaritan Jesus said our neighbors aren’t just those who live next door to us (Lk. 10:25-37).

Earnhart wrote: “Not only do bitter feelings put one in jeopardy but so also does the contemptuous abuse they are disposed to foster. How many hearts have been brutalized by words that cut like rapiers....We lash out at people in utter scorn and leave them as we intended, broken.” (Spiritual Revolution, pg. 43-44).

Here’s the thing. Our country, and perhaps even we, have lost sight of the real enemy. We think politicians are the enemy. We think the “other side” is the enemy. We’re wrong.

Let me share a story and an observation from a recent Dispatch article (September 21, 2025): Someone placed 100 red fire ants and 100 black ants in a jar. At first nothing happened. Then someone aggressively shook the jar and dumped the ants back on the ground. The ants fought to the death. The red ants thought the black ants were the enemy. The black ants thought the red ants were the enemy. But the real enemy was the one who shook the jar.

Do you identify with red states? Blue states? Do you find yourself seething with anger and disgust at the opposition? If so, then you’ve misidentified the real enemy. Ask yourself, who is shaking the jar? (Jn. 8:44). It would be better to identify with Christ who came seeking the lost (Lk. 19:10). That includes all of us. Here’s the question: When we hate or when we call names, are we helping Jesus in his mission of atonement or are we helping the real enemy?

mjhennecke@gmail.com

“…He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God”

3 JOHN 11