I did not grow up with all the fanciest things, but I was provided for well. I had all that I needed and then some. I had too many toys than I could play with at one time. I had too many books than I could read in a day. I always had food every day; I don’t think I ever missed a meal. I have always had a place to lay my head and clothing on my back. Even though there were days when my pockets were empty, it was simply on those days that the bills were paid and there was nothing left over. I had just enough.
In Deuteronomy 15, it says that there should be no poor because God was going to bless the people in the Promised Land, and so He did. The command was to give generously, not grudgingly. God was going to bless the people. They needed to remember that God was the source of all, and live life with open hands.
Still today, we are to give generously. When we look around, it’s easy to see that there are poor among us. There are people struggling every day. There are people who are not able to have a warm meal tonight, while there are others tossing food in the garbage because they have too much. There are people who are hoping for a place to sleep tonight that isn’t outdoors, while others have numerous homes. There are some people who don’t have a place to call their own, while others need storage areas because they have too much to fit into their house. Give generously. Don’t hold back. If the Spirit is leading you to open your hands, open them and watch what He does. If we all opened our hands, just maybe there would be no poor among us. Just maybe what God has given us is enough for everyone.
“There should be no poor among you, for the LORD your God will greatly bless you in the land He is giving you as a special possession. Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do.” Deuteronomy 15:4, 10 [NLT]
Tania Gutekunst 