Session 1
What Does God Need?
From Rich Toward God
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth by speaking them into existence. Where there was a formless void, He proclaimed, “Let there be light!” Where there was no human life, He created us in His own image. God is the very author of life and the creator of all things.
As this Scripture shows, He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and all the birds that fly around them. The world and all its fullness are His. And a God with this kind of power and ability does not need anything from the people He created. In fact, any sentence beginning with “God needs…” presents a theological problem. God doesn’t need a single thing, yet He asks us to bring an offering. Why?
In this Psalm, the people of God brought sacrifices to Him, but they misunderstood the reason behind them. Just like the Israelites in the Old Testament, we’re also prone to misunderstanding the true heart of God as we bring our offerings. We don’t bring something to God because He needs it, and we’re not doing God a favor when we practice generosity. We don’t give to lessen lack—God has none. Our relationship grows with our Creator when we give.
God loves us and wants to invite us into His beautiful story of redemption. He’s already issued this invitation by offering salvation through His Son, Jesus, and He continues it by inviting us to give. Giving is a conduit for relationship—and relationship is His ultimate desire for His children. God doesn’t want your stuff. He wants you! He wants everyone to experience an everyday relationship with Him. It’s because of His kindness that He invites us to participate in His work and mission. And when we give, we get to deepen our relationship with Him as we walk in obedience, which is the ultimate reward.
REFLECT
- Have you ever considered why we bring tithes and offerings to God?
- How does our perspective on giving change when we realize God doesn’t need our money?
- If God doesn’t need our money, why do we give money to the Church?