The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly. (1 Chronicles 29:9, NIV)
Playing golf is always a pleasure. Playing it well is better still.
If your elementary grammar training has stuck with you through the years, you might recognize well in the preceding sentence as an adverb, the part of speech that helps us define the manner in which something is done or the degree to which it is accomplished. I might elicit an adverbial description from you by asking, “How much?” or “In what way?”
So if you tell me you enjoy golf, I can ask you, “How much?” And you might employ a useful adverb in answering, “Exceedingly.” And if you told me you played today, I might ask, “How did you play?” And then your answer might be, “Horribly.”
It doesn’t take much insight to see how adverbs add to our understanding of what really occurs in our lives. It should not surprise us, then, to see adverbs come into meaningful play when we open our Bibles as well. The difference, for instance, between approaching God humbly and approaching him haughtily makes all the difference in both this world and the one to come.
One helpful example of the way adverbs augment righteousness is found in 1 Chronicles 29. David has asked the people to contribute to the building of the temple of the Lord—not a project he would oversee but one for which he could prepare on behalf of Solomon, who would succeed his father on the throne and embark on the temple’s construction.
We are told in a single paragraph that the leaders of the people and the officials in charge of the work “gave willingly.” They did not give only because the king commanded it. They gave willingly, and that adverb made all the difference.
The people recognized this generosity in their leaders and we are told in this same paragraph that they rejoiced because the leaders had given freely and wholeheartedly—two more positive and descriptive adverbs.
Finally, the paragraph closes with the king’s own response. He rejoiced greatly. This was more than a smile or a well-pleased “attaboy.” There was notable pleasure on his face and excitement in his voice.
What kind of adverbs describe the verbs of your walk with Jesus? Do you serve gratefully or grudgingly? Do you worship heartily or hesitantly? Do you love reservedly or richly? Others can often answer these questions for us because our lives are on display. But no one can own up to those answers for us. Transparent before the Father, we confess our fleetinglies and ask him to turn them into faithfullies. We ask him to redeem the adverbs of our lives.
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Jeff Hopper
August 20, 2014
Copyright 2014 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.