November 16

Lock, Stock and Barrel

Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed . . . of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always (Deuteronomy 14:22, 23, KJV).

Scripture: Deuteronomy 14:22-29

Song: “Give of Your Best to the Master”

One reality show featured buyers attempting to win auctions of entire defaulted storage units. Without stepping past the opened rollup doors, they were given just five minutes to view the contents of each unit, and to decide on their bids. Winning bidders became the proud (or not so proud) owners of everything contained in their storage units, whether good, bad, ugly or truly weird. One storage unit purchased for just $3,600 contained paintings which later sold for $300,

000! But whether a unit contained trash, treasure, or something in between, one thing was certain: it all belonged exclusively to the buyer.

The Lord required the Israelites to give back to Him a tithe, (or tenth) of all their substance, so that they would learn to respect the Lord deeply and acknowledge His authority in their lives. In 1 Peter 1:18, 19 (KJV) God reminds believers that we have been “redeemed,” (bought back by God) “with the precious blood of Christ.” As His purchased possession, all that we have and all that we are rightfully belongs to Him. In returning to Him a portion of our time, talent, and treasure, we acknowledge His claim on our lives, submitting completely to His authority.

Father, I know that my giving isn’t a question of Your need, but of Your lordship in my life. Please help me to withhold nothing from You. In my Savior’s name, amen.