“Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you. And rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites in your towns, and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows living among you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow carefully these decrees. Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete. Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed: Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.”
Deuteronomy 16:10-17 (NIV)
Being in the ministry for over 40 years has afforded my husband and me multiple opportunities to be the blessed recipients of others’ generosity and hospitality. Through the years, the Lord has used His children in countless ways to minister to our family and to us as individuals. Some of those gifts have been tangible; others have not, but all were provided through our Lord’s direction and provision.
As I walk through the rooms of my house, I notice a piece of artwork on the wall or a picture, book, or other memento sitting on a table or shelf, and am momentarily taken back in time to the individual that lovingly shared it with me, and oh, the memories, the sweet memories. Likewise, I remember with great pleasure and gratitude the times I have been able to give to others and the sense of joy and purpose it gave me to know I was participating in God’s plan for their life, just as others had participated in His plan for mine. There have been opportunities to give out of our abundance, as well as opportunities to give when our reservoir was running low, all the while trusting and allowing God to meet our need through His sufficiency and our obedience. He has never failed us yet! Through the years, we have been in awe of our God’s goodness! We have never been able to “out-give” Him! We have personally witnessed Philippians 4:19 (NIV), “But my God will meet all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
We are instructed throughout Scripture to offer nothing less than our best to the Lord. The Old Testament is filled with instructions of bringing the best of fruits, grains, wine, oil, flocks, and herds as an offering pleasing to the Lord. Everyone, great or small, rich or poor, was to bring an offering to the Lord. Mark 12:42 (NIV), reminds us that the widow brought an offering equivalent to just a few cents, but it was great in the Lord’s sight. The point is, however great or small our gift, we are not to enter the Lord’s presence empty-handed.
My Personal Musings from God’s Word:
As we look back upon our lives and all the ways the Lord has blessed and cared for us, let us be reminded that we are not to be selfish in our own giving. We must remember that as Christ-followers, we were bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. We owe Him our very lives! We must ask ourselves this all important question, “How can we be generous with others (and ourselves), yet come before our Savior “empty-handed?” Let us daily bring the best that we have: our sacrifices of praise, thanksgiving, gratitude, worship, our seeking hearts and minds, our will, our energy, our strength, our gifts, talents, abilities, and our resources. All that we HAVE, and all that we ARE, we owe it ALL to our Creator, Savior, Sustainer, and Provider.
Psalm 100:1-5 (KJV)
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations.”
Proverbs 3:9 (NLT)
“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.”
