Month: March 2024
51.g. Wilderness – 15.m. “Every man shall give as he is able”
Deu 16:17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that he has given you.
2 Corinthians 8:12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Money bestowed in charity, may to the carnal mind seem thrown away, but when given from proper principles, it is seed sown, from which a valuable increase may be expected. It should be given carefully. Works of charity, like other good works, should be done with thought and design. Due thought, as to our circumstances, and those we are about to relieve, will direct our gifts for charitable uses. Help should be given freely, be it more or less; not grudgingly, but cheerfully. While some scatter, and yet increase; others withhold more than is meet, and it tends to poverty. If we had more faith and love, we should waste less on ourselves, and sow more in hope of a plentiful increase. Can a man lose by doing that with which God is pleased? He is able to make all grace abound towards us, and to abound in us; to give a large increase of spiritual and of temporal good things. He can make us to have enough in all things; and to be content with what we have. God gives not only enough for ourselves, but that also wherewith we may supply the wants of others, and this should be as seed to be sown. We must show the reality of our subjection to the gospel, by works of charity. This will be for the credit of our profession, and to the praise and glory of God. Let us endeavour to copy the example of Christ, being unwearied in doing good, and deeming it more blessed to give than to receive. Blessed be God for the unspeakable gift of his grace, whereby he enables and inclines some of his people to bestow upon others, and others to be grateful for it; and blessed be his glorious name to all eternity, for Jesus Christ, that inestimable gift of his love, through whom this and every other good thing, pertaining to life and godliness, are freely given unto us, beyond all expression, measure, or bounds. (Henry)
The idea is, that God will bestow rewards in proportion to what is given. These rewards may refer to results in this life, or to the rewards in heaven, or both. All who have ever been in the habit of giving liberally to the objects of benevolence can testify that they have lost nothing, but have reaped in proportion to their liberality. This follows in various ways.
(1) in the comfort and peace which results from giving. If a man wishes to purchase happiness with his gold, he can secure the most by bestowing it liberally on objects of charity. It will produce him more immediate peace than it would to spend it in sensual gratifications, and far more than to hoard it up useless in his coffers.
(2) in reflection on it hereafter. It will produce more happiness in remembering that he has done good with it, and promoted the happiness of others, than it will to reflect that he has hoarded up useless wealth, or that he has squandered it in sensual gratification. The one will be unmingled pleasure when he comes to die; the other will be unmingled self-reproach and pain.
(3) in subsequent life, God will in some way repay to him far more than he has bestowed in deeds of charity. By augmented prosperity, by health and future comfort, and by raising up for us and our families, when in distress and want, friends to aid us, God can and often does abundantly repay the liberal for all their acts of kindness and deeds of beneficence.
(4) God can and will reward his people in heaven abundantly for all their kindness to the poor, and all their self-denials in endeavoring to diffuse the influence of truth and the knowledge of salvation. Indeed the rewards of heaven will be in no small degree apportioned in this manner, and determined by the amount of benevolence which we have shown on earth. (Barnes)
The problem is that we keep too much to ourselves buying things we put in front of giving to God and then we “give as we are able” afterwards. Giving should always be first in our minds before we spend money we don’t have. Be in the practice of setting aside both the tithe and offerings and benevolent giving before thinking about other stuff.
51.f. Wilderness – 15.l. “And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God”
Deu 16:9-12 “You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there. You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
Here we have the Feast of Weeks and tribute of a Freewill Offering. The Passover remembrance was commanded by God to the Israelites so that they might always remember His mighty hand, works, signs, and wonders that delivered them out of bondage. The Feast of Weeks was to remind them of God’s continual blessings.
The Passover, the sacrifice of a lamb, and the sprinkling of the blood on the doorposts of their homes was given before the exodus, or the parting of the Red Sea, or the 10 commandments were given. The sacrifice was before the commandments them all! This was all in line with the covenant God made with Israel.
When Jesus came, was crucified, died, and rose again, He was the sacrificial “Lamb of God” given before the New Covenant (The Gospel of Jesus Christ) was fully manifested through the gifts of the Holy Spirit and proclaimed by the Apostles. The old covenant was taken away and a new covenant was given. Where the Passover was remembered and celebrated once per year, the bread broken and the wine (Communion) was not limited to once per year but “as often as ye do it in remembrance of Me”. Remember your salvation, redemption, eternal life, and deliverance from the bondage of sin.
The Feast of Weeks was a freewill offering, a remembrance of God’s blessings. How many days go by where we are not thankful, grateful, and in awesome wonder of God’s blessings? Do we think they happen because of chance, or hard work, or luck? No, they are blessings from God. They are to be remembered and be thankful for. They are to be shared. They are to be a Feast with rejoicing and thankfulness. We have Thanksgiving in the US and it can be a time of thankfulness but many times if we are not in the right mindset to rejoice and be thankful it becomes a time of celebration of a family get-together without remembrance of God’s Blessings.
It is good for us to always be in the mindset of rejoicing and thankfulness to God. It keeps us grounded in our Heavenly Father. It keeps us from thinking more highly of ourselves than we should. It places all we have in the One who gave them. It reminds us of who is in control and watching over us. It keeps us desiring to honor and serve Him, not because of what He will do but because of who He is and what He has already done.
How can you taste the living Word of god and drink in the living water of Christ and not be consumed by the sense of thankfulness, worship, praise, joy, and repentance?
Pathway to Victory – Devotion
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
–Colossians 3:23–24
In John 10:10, Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Contrary to what most people think, we don’t have to wait until we die to enjoy the eternal life Jesus promised. Eternal life refers to not just a quantity of life but also a quality of life. And Jesus wants us to experience a joy-filled, purposeful life here and now.
One important facet of experiencing that abundant life is to find your calling. If you spend 70 percent of your waking hours at your job, then doesn’t it make sense that Jesus would care about what that job is?
You might say, “That doesn’t apply to me. I’ve already found my job.” That may be true, but is that job your calling in life? Or you might say, “I’m retired. I have my pension and Social Security checks, so I don’t need a job anymore.” Did you know retirement is an unbiblical idea? People in Scripture didn’t retire. No, you may change your job, but you’re not to spend twenty years of your life simply figuring out how to entertain yourself every day. That was never God’s purpose. God wants you to lead a meaningful and productive life at every stage. He has a calling for you.
He communicates His plan to us in a variety of ways. He speaks through the Bible, through prayer, through wise counsel, through our desires, and sometimes through supernatural signs and circumstances. And depending on the decision we’re trying to make, we may consult one or more of those methods to determine God’s direction.
When it comes to finding the right job, you certainly want to pray about it, and you ought to seek wise counsel. I want to suggest three primary methods for finding your God-given calling: understanding the biblical principle about work, discovering your desires, and exercising practicality.
Enduring Word – Devotion
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)
On the last day of creation – the sixth day, before God rested from His work as Creator on the seventh day – God created man (Genesis 1:26-31). This passage from Genesis 2 tells us how God created man, making him out of dust, out of dirt.
The verse plainly says that God formed man of the dust of the ground. When God created man, He made him out of the most basic elements, the dust of the ground. There is nothing “spectacular” in what man is made of, only in the way those basic things are organized. God took simple substances and so brilliantly combined them that truly, we are fearfully and wonderfully made – the human body is marvelous (Psalm 139:14).
When the Bible uses dust in a figurative or symbolic sense, it means something of little worth, associated with lowliness and humility. In the Bible, dust isn’t evil, and it isn’t nothing; but it is next to nothing.
When Abraham spoke of himself as being merely dust and ashes, he emphasized his humility (Genesis 18:27). When Hannah thanked God for lifting her up, she proclaimed that God raises the poor from the dust (1 Samuel 2:8). When God spoke to King Jehu of Israel of his humble beginning, the LORD said that He lifted Jehu out of the dust, making him a ruler (1 Kings 16:2).
God did something wonderful with that lowly dust. He breathed into Adam the breath of life. With this Divine breath, man became a living being, like other forms of animal life. Genesis 1:20-21 describes animals as living creatures and living things, and the same phrasing is used in describing Adam as a living being. Yet only man is a living being made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27).
The word used for breath in Hebrew is ruach, a word that imitates the very sound of breath. This same word can also be translated as spirit. God created man by putting His breath, His Spirit, within him. God breathed some of His own breath into mankind, making man after His likeness.
Dear friend, in one sense you are a collection of very normal, not-very-costly chemicals. By some calculations, the value of all the chemicals and compounds in the human body (oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus and so forth) is worth less than $600 USD. That’s something, but for many people it is not a fortune.
In a greater sense, you are so valuable that it is difficult to comprehend. You are so valuable that Jesus Christ laid down His life for you as a demonstration of His love.
What makes humanity so valuable? It is the breath of God that gives us life, making us in His image. Today, appreciate both your lowliness and your great value before God – both are true!
Turning Point – Devotion
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8
Bringing a product to market represents a huge financial investment. Based on the number of sleep aid medicines and supplements on the market, it would appear that a lot of people aren’t getting enough sleep! Those products wouldn’t exist if the world was sleeping soundly at night.
The psalmist David pointed out something we know all too well: There is a difference between going to bed and going to sleep. Everybody goes to bed at night, but not everyone goes to sleep. But David did both: “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep.” Why was he able to sleep in peace? Because he trusted in God: “You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” He wrote those words during a period of unnamed trouble in his life—something everyone can identify with. But instead of being angry, he silenced his heart and went to sleep in peace (Psalm 4:4, 8).
Do you go to bed, or do you both go to bed and go to sleep in peace? Search your heart and commit your concerns to God—and rest in Him.
We sleep in peace in the arms of God when we yield ourselves up to His providence.
51.e. Wilderness – 15.k. “‘You shall open wide your hand”
Deu 15:9-11 Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’
Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
Jeremiah 17:10 “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
Mark 7:21-22 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
Proverbs 28:22 A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.
Proverbs 21:13 Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.
In the heart and mind resides the vilest of thoughts and intents. The output is in the form of action or the lack of action. These souls are bound for doing what is right in their own eyes, what pleases them, what gives them satisfaction or the chase after satisfaction, what gives them purpose, how they treat people, how they speak to people, and there is no thought of honoring or glorifying Jesus Christ. You might look at these people with disdain or disgust or hate or anger, and for some of their actions, we can see it this way. God does. He sees it all. The thoughts. The intents. The actions.
Scripture tells us that God is angry and wrathful over such people. It also says that He is withholding His wrath and anger so that all might come to the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, repent, believe, trust, obey, follow, and rely upon Him for the salvation of their souls. God’s grace, mercy, and love are showered down because that is His plan to offer redemption and salvation to every person ever born.
We see people who are worldly and follow the lusts of their hearts. We see boastfulness, anger, hate, arrogance, theft, jealousy, lying, unkindness, greed, immorality, etc…… God sees them much more clearly than we do. He sees their thoughts and intents before any action has been taken. And yet, He offers the gift of eternal life.
How should we view these people to whom we want to justly hate? With love. Everything we say about an evil and lost person above applies to us but by the grace and mercy of God. We do well to remember that and the needs of others. It can be some need, physical, material, monetary, or spiritual. If our eyes are open and our ears attentive we will hear and be led by the Holy Spirit with the right spirit within us to help this in need.
Turning Point – Devotion
I like what Dr. Jeremiah says about prayer, faith, and perseverance. Praying in faith is communion with God. It is talking with your Heavenly Father. The problem with prayer it is usually spoken with the intent of asking for something that we want or need, or for others (this is good – repentance, finances, relationships, health, employment, peace, strength, courage, hope, understanding, wisdom, salvation, eyes to see, hears to hear, revival, leaders, etc….. ), but we fail to speak with our Heavenly Father with the intent of praise, worship, and honor. There is much more to be said about this but let us leave this thought with this intent – “when you pray intentionally begin with praise, worship, and honor.” Give it equal or more time in your prayers than asking for something. It will certainly increase your faith, hope, and love for God.
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3-4
There is no word more central to biblical teaching than faith. For instance, 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” (See also Romans 1:17.) But what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (NIV1984). Faith is not just hoping for something we cannot at present see. It is being “sure” and “certain” that we will in time see it. But what are we authorized to be certain of? Whatever God has promised in His Word. John 3:16 promises eternal life to all who believe in Jesus. Therefore, we can be certain, by faith, that we have eternal life.
This raises the question: How do we live in the gap between not seeing and seeing? What do we do while we wait for God to fulfill His promise? We persevere. Echoing Hebrews 11:1, Romans 8:25 says, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”
Biblical faith is characterized by perseverance. If you are in the gap, wait faithfully on God by persevering.
We persevere through faith and never apart from it.
51.d. Wilderness – 15.j. “Being careful to do all this”
Deu 15:4-6 But there will be no poor among you; for the LORD will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess— if only you will strictly obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all this commandment that I command you today. For the LORD your God will bless you, as he promised you, and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow, and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.
Proverbs 11:24-25 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.
Proverbs 14:21 Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
Proverbs 28:27 Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.
Isaiah 58:10-11 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
God established an economic system wherein no one had to be chronically poor. If people would obey the LORD, He would bless (both sovereignly and as the natural result of the obedience), and they would not be poor. However, Deuteronomy 15:11 – just a few verses down – states: For the poor will never cease from the land. Is God contradicting Himself? Not at all. He knows that He has established a system where no one must be chronically poor, yet He knew that because of disobedience, some would, and there would always be the poor in Israel. So, God did not guarantee prosperity for any one in Israel; but He did guarantee opportunity for prosperity for an obedient Israel. If Israel obeyed and the individual citizens of Israel enjoyed the blessing of God’s prosperity, then they would as a nation be prosperous, and blessed above other nations. (Guzik)
The law is spiritual, and lays restraints upon the thoughts of the heart. We mistake, if we think thoughts are free from God’s knowledge and check. That is a wicked heart indeed, which raises evil thoughts from the good law of God, as theirs did, who, because God had obliged them to the charity of forgiving, denied the charity of giving. Those who would keep from the act of sin, must keep out of their minds the very thought of sin. It is a dreadful thing to have the cry of the poor justly against us. Grudge not a kindness to thy brother; distrust not the providence of God. What thou doest, do freely, for God loves a cheerful giver. (Henry)
For the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it; which is either a reason why there would be no poor, should they observe the commandments of the Lord; or a reason why they should release the debts of the poor because they were so greatly blessed with a fruitful land, which brought them such an increase, as enabled them to free their poor debtors, when in circumstances unable to pay them. (Gill)
We do well to first and foremost obey, follow, trust, honor, and glorify Jesus Christ. If this is our desire and purpose in life, then we will be moved by the Holy Spirit in many virtues including being generous, kind, and giving to those in need. Sometimes it is hard to know of those in need but our churches know and if you ask the question you will certainly be put on a path to honor and glorify Jesus Christ through meeting the needs of someone in need.
Turning Point – Devotion
A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.
Proverbs 25:28, NLT
One of life’s paradoxes is how self-discipline gives us freedom. People without self-control live under the tyranny of whatever desires master them—pleasure, sleep, sex, indulgence, addictions, or hatred. When the Lord becomes the King of our life, He enables us to grow in the quality of self-control. It’s a fruit of the Spirit. As we’re released from our vices, we’re increasingly free to live healthy and happy lives.
To many people, the word freedom means doing anything you want whenever and wherever you want. But true freedom is impossible without constraint. Limitations don’t bring confinement—they enable freedom. Paul told Timothy, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV). Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…self-control.”
Identify any area of life in which you find yourself in bondage. Ask God to help you to allow His Spirit to work in your heart so that you will experience true freedom.
Jesus, who lived such a remarkable life, has sent His Spirit to dwell in you. His goal is to reproduce Himself through you—the courage, the self-control, the love, everything.
Charles Stanley