Readings for today: Deuteronomy 26-27, Luke 10:38-11:13, Psalms 76, Proverbs 12:15-17
“A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. Then we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me.' And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God. And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.” (Deuteronomy 26:5-11)
Why do you give? Why do you put money in an offering plate? Why do you support the church or any other ministry? For the people of Israel, the offering gave them a chance to rehearse their salvation story. They reminded themselves that their provision rested ultimately on God. Not by the work of their hands. Not by the sweat of their brow. Not by their own might and power and wisdom and strength. God alone had saved them. God alone had delivered them. God alone had brought them to a land flowing with milk and honey. God alone was the source of all the blessings they had received. This is why they gave their tithes. At it’s best, the practice of tithing was a way of practicing faith. We give back unto the Lord that which He has given to us and we trust Him to provide yet again in the coming year. We give back unto the Lord and we trust Him to use our gifts to further His purposes in the world.
I wonder what it would look like for us to rehearse a similar story when we gave? How could we put the great story of faith in our own words in a way that would connect and remind us on a regular basis that God is our provider and protector? For me, it might look something like this...
”I was blessed to be raised by Christian parents. Worshipping God every week as I grew up. Learning to pray. To read the Bible. To serve. But then I went to Boulder where my life fell apart. I walked away from God. I walked away from Christians. I walked away from the church. I became enslaved to my own desires. I became a drunk. I was depressed. I treated others shamefully. Eventually, my humiliation caught up with me. I lost friends. I flunked out of school. I hit rock bottom. Then I cried out to the Lord. He heard my cry. He brought people into my life who preached the gospel to me. He delivered me from darkness. Set my soul free to love and to serve Him. He blessed the work of my hands. He made my life fruitful. I am blessed beyond measure. And so, behold, I offer to my God the firstfruits of my labor. I offer to God the firstfruits of my resources. I offer to God my time and my talent to be used for His purposes. For He has given me far more than I deserve and provided for my every desire. This is my worship and I give it freely in faith.”
What’s your story? What story can you rehearse to remind yourself of why you give? God doesn’t need your money, of course, but the generous giving of our resources to God reveals the truth of where we place our trust. Are we storing up treasures in heaven or do we cling to the treasures of this earth? Are we giving cheerfully? Joyfully? With expectation? Or do we give out of obligation and guilt? Do we rest in the reality of God’s abundant provision or do we strive endlessly to provide for ourselves?
Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 28, Luke 11:14-36, Psalms 77, Proverbs 12:18