Moses spends much time going through each detail of the rules and regulations this people of God should seek to follow. One of the topics is firstfruits and tithes. Do I dare go into this? Yes, yes I do. Why? Because what we do with our income reveals the state of our hearts. Remember Cain? Things didn’t go too well for him when he refused to do the right thing. Then he ended up getting angry at his brother who was doing the right thing. Let this not be us, my Friends.
It all belongs to God anyway, so if we really do trust Him, then we will offer Him our tithes and right from our firstfruits. What do I mean? When we give to our local church, we do not wait until we have paid all our bills and bought that new whatever we really have had our eyes on, and so on. No. We put the correct amount off to the side, or give it immediately the moment we get it, before we spend it on anything else. We give our first and our best. This reveals our obedience and our Faith. Remember Abel?
I am not sure why we Christians, who have been given Eternity by the way, struggle with this issue of giving God our offerings? Let me take us back a couple of chapters to Dt 8. Here Moses is telling the group, when you enter into the Promised Land and you begin to prosper, because that was God’s intent, “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.” (Dt 8:17-18) If it is not for the Grace of God, none of us would be able to produce any wealth. Whether it is giving us the talents, opening up doors of opportunity, keeping us healthy enough to work…you see, all we have is because of God. To be obedient and return 10% of our gross income is not a lot to ask, but as I said before, it is huge in revealing the state of our heart.
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Lk 6:38) Those are the words of Jesus, but please, oh please, do NOT get this confused! We do not GIVE so we can GET. We freely give because of all we already have received. I was a sinner, doomed to hell. Only darkness and despair and destruction were my future. But then God called me. But then God moved my heart. But then God saved me. How can I NOT freely give of all I have been given, especially truly valuable things like His Amazing Grace? Yet, like you, I am a work in progress so I fall so short every day…but this is a learning process praise God! And He continues to teach us, if we are willing to learn and open minded enough to obey whatever He tells us. Remember Abraham?
2023’s Got A Minute? Book Club
January: The Bible
<>< Peace, Diane
