Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.
Deuteronomy 16:17(NIV)
Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.
Deuteronomy 16:17(MSG)
Each man must bring as much as he can manage, giving generously in response to the blessings of God, your God.
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“Every man shall give as he is able, in accordance with the blessing which the Lord your God has given you.” -AMPLIFIED
The verses preceding our text deal with various feasts the Passover Feast, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths. Moses advises the people, “Three times each year, every male Israelite must appear before Him in the place He chooses for the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover), for the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and for the Feast of Shelters (Tabernacles). Don’t come empty-handed! Decide what amount you want to contribute voluntarily out of what He has blessed you with, and bring that as a gift.” -Deuteronomy 16:16-17 (VOICE)
Every man shall give as he is able. Each was to bring a gift in proportion to how God had blessed him. Notice, God does not set a specific monetary number of what was required of each person, but He says that everyone must bring a gift and they must give generously to Him.
Consider this fact, everything that we have, we have because God has blessed us with it. Everything! King David said, “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You (God), and from Your own hand we have given to You.” -1 Chronicles 29:14 (AMP) Everything came from God; why should we not give a portion of it back to Him?
The writer of Hebrews reminds of this fact also. He says, “Everything belongs to God, and all things were created by his power.” -Hebrews 2:10a (CEV) When we come to the Lord, our God, we are not to come empty handed, but with a gift in hand; for everything that we have belongs to Him anyhow.
Jesus once was speaking to those who were trying to trip Him up; spies sent by the teacher’s of the law and the Pharisees. “He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” -Luke 20:25 (NIV) Never once did Jesus advocate that giving unto God was obsolete.
In his book to the Corinthians Paul writes this, “Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.” -2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (MSG)
Notice HOW we are to give. The Message Version says,”God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.” The New International Version says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” The Amplified says, “God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift].” The International Children’s Bible “God loves the person who gives happily.”
Too often these days we hear of those who teach that tithing was only for the Old Testament. I challenge you though to give to God and see what happens. You will find that you cannot out-give God. In the same passage that Paul spoke to the Corinthian church, where he advocated them not to be stingy givers, he also addressed how God will generously bless us when we obediently give. Paul says, “God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, “He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out.” This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.” -2 Corinthians 9:8-11 (MSG)
I challenge you to try and out-give God. He will always bless you more. It may not be in monetary ways, but He will bless you. Often those blessings come in a multitude of different ways and remember, God has promised to always take care of your needs. So, do not be afraid to come to God joyfully, with gift in had to bless Him.
My Prayer :
Lord, I know you love a cheerful giver. I know that you are blessed when I give back to you. Help me to trust that you will take care of my every need and willingly give generously to you and your work. Everything I have I have because you. You give me the strength and fortitude to work every day. You give me the very breath that I breathe. You created me. You have allowed me the privilege of giving back to you, may I do it with a good attitude and with joy. I will obey.
Growing with God 