Day 55 or February 24. You can afford to be generous, like God.
Our thoughts today are from Deuteronomy 16, verse 17. Each of you must bring a gift in
proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.
First the big picture surrounding this verse. The book of Deuteronomy is so full of laws
and decrees that you sometimes wonder why. I believe that it's because God loves His
people so much that He wants them to get the most out of their lives. All these laws are
not restrictions but ways of benefiting from the wisdom of God in everyday life. They are
for the good of individuals and society as a whole. Lots of them are about what is best
to eat. In the days before refrigeration and other methods of food preservation, what God
told them was invaluable. However, Moses makes it clear that simply doing what you feel is
right is not enough. God gives us the full, unabridged version of His instructions for
a great, healthy, satisfying life to be lived with Him as the constant guide.
And now our action step. When you buy tickets for a great event like
the Football World Cup final, Centre Court at Wimbledon or the Olympics, the price is
secondary. The expected experience is all that matters. So why is it that many of the
same folk who buy tickets for events like these are often the ones who say, the Church,
all they ever want is my money? Moses makes it very clear that God expects
His people to give according to their ability. Speaking as someone who, along with my wife,
has tithed for all our married life, God is true to His promises in His Word. He is really
no one's debtor. Or in the words of that great old hymn, He is not a disappointment.
Moses was speaking to a people living in a world where giving sacrifices to God's was
the norm. In the 21st century we are becoming a people who only give if there's something
in it for us. Master your money before it masters you. Use it as God guides you, or
it could guide you away from God.