Deuteronomy 14:22-26 (NIV) 22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. 23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always. 24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), 25 then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose. 26 Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice.
To open our mind to God about money is far more difficult and more central than simply opening our pocketbook. So it was one afternoon on a hillside near Capernaum that Jesus began to deal with our attitude and assumptions about money. He was talking to a people who had rules and regulations about giving, and most of them obeyed the rules, from the richest to the poorest. Yet, underneath all that was the attitude and the assumption that you took what you could of money and wealth and then you tried to hold on to it for dear life. Give and it will be given to you. Does Jesus mean that if we give generously we will get back more money? It happens, but mostly we will receive an awareness of the goodness of God, a confidence in the sovereignty of God, the ability to appreciate all that we have, including the people in our life, as a gift, and a sense of security in our thoughts and dealings with money.
Are we shrewd about giving, or do we just pay our dues as we would for belonging to a club? It is God’s will that we receive real spiritual benefit to our soul that comes from giving. God wants us to enjoy our money, His money. We do that when we are willing to submit our money and our decisions about money to God. We seek God’s guidance for all that we do with our money, the way we give, the way we spend, the way we save.
Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice.
From sermons preached by Henry Dobbs Pope October 22, 2000 and November 12, 2000
Copyright Rhonda Hinkle Mitchell Broyles
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