Never Begrudging

“You are a people holy to the Lord your God.

“You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year… 

“At the end of every three years you shall bring out the tithe of your produce and lay it up within your towns. And the Levite,.. the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”

“The Lord will bless you in the land that [He] is giving you for an inheritance to possess— if only you will strictly obey [his] voice, being careful to do all this commandment. For the Lord your God will bless you, as he promised.., and you shall rule over many nations…

“If one of your brothers should become poor,.. you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against [him], but you shall open your hand and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. 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 you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give, 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 the poor, in your land…’

“As the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today.” Deuteronomy 14:21b,22,28-29; 15:4-11,14b-15

The Lord’s commands to His people through Moses were predicated on their love relationship with Him, and depended on their remembering from where they had come. They were not free except that He had delivered them, they owned nothing He’d not given them, and they would not enter the promised land except that He drive out its occupants before them. Truly, all they were and had was because of Him. Neither His commands nor His people should ever be begrudged. (1 Corinthians 4:7)

Immersed in day-to-day, we ignore our ties to the past and the Lord. Intent on personal business, we forget the greater purpose for our being here and the gifts we’ve received along the way. As determination sets in, we begrudge sharing success and credit, thinking ourselves rightful to hoard or flaunt what we’ve deserved.

The Lord upends this humanist thinking. The Giver of every good gift expects us to share from our bounty, support His servants, and help the poor. He calls us to broader living. (James 1:17)

How are we obeying these commands? Do we spend ourselves as mere stewards of abundance and freedom, or hold tight His gifts for selfish indulgence? How can we honor and prioritize Him by supporting His ministers?

Lord, soften my heart and open my hands with generosity of love and gratitude.