Day 55, or February the 24th. You can afford
to be generous, like God. Our thoughts today
are from Deuteronomy chapter 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 gods 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.