He could have just taken it. He was King, and not only did most people revere him, but they were also a little afraid. Plus, he had an angel with a mighty sword in his posse leading the way, which would certainly cause me not to put up much resistance.
So, when David came upon the property God instructed him to build an altar on, the owner, Araunah, was clearly motivated to comply. After his kids flew the coop and left him alone to deal with King David and the celestial warrior, he bowed down in reverence and fear and basically tried to give it to David.
David refused. He knew if there was no cost, there was no reward.
"'No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!' So David gave Araunah 600 pieces of gold in payment for the threshing floor." (1 Chronicles 21:24-25)
It's not a sacrifice unless it costs you something.
It's not surrender until you don't like it. The goofy old saying, "No pain, no gain," has been true since the beginning of time.
David had just come through a series of events that angered God so much that he sent an angel with a sword to teach him a lesson. First, he hung back chillin' in his crib while his army went to battle. Then strode in as the boss and claimed the defeated crown for himself, like he did something to earn it. Shortly thereafter, in an act of pride and ignoring God's word, he took a census, tallying up the size of his army instead of trusting God to continue to deliver him success. He had to set things right and get back to a position of humility and honoring God. And it had to come with a price. It always does.
Whatever the gap is between where you are and where you want to be, you can close it, but not for free. You must give something, give up something, or go through something. Otherwise, it just isn't worth it. The more costly the sacrifice, the more valuable the reward. Someone has to pay. Just ask Jesus. You were an infinitely valuable reward. Salvation cost you nothing, but it wasn’t free.
Close the gap. Pay the price. Do the work. It's not surrender until you don't like it, and the measure you get will be directly proportionate to the measure you give. What are you willing to give?
