Today’s Scripture Reading (September
13, 2012): Deuteronomy 14
I sometimes
wonder if there are any people in our culture that are not in trouble
financially. And that alone is an amazing statement. We live in the midst of
one of the richest cultures our world has ever known. We have so many beautiful
things and abilities. We live in the midst of plenty when there are sections of
this world that exist only in want. Most of us have heard the illustrations from
well meaning pastors on the extravagant wealth of our culture. If you have
change in some cubby hole inside your car you are richer than most of the
people in the world. If you have food in your refrigerator remember that there
are people in this world that have no idea where their next meal is going to
come from. Families sit at the dinner table all over the Western world
complaining about the healthy food that mom has set before us so that we can
live healthy lives when there are billions of people that cannot even find
healthy drinking water.
No, I am not
trying to make you feel guilty. I just finished my lunch – bologna sandwiches
(which I actually like), a couple of cookies, some grapes and an apple. But as
I was eating, I admit that the one thing that did not occur to me was how rich
I am – that I could have a lunch such as that. But I am rich. I have change in
my car and lots of food in my fridge. And yet ...
When I look
at our culture and the financial trouble that we find ourselves in, the question
that begs to be asked is how did we get here? In the midst of wages higher than
what most of the world earns (the average wage worldwide is just under $1500 a
month) how can we have driven ourselves so far into debt. It does not make
sense. It is also probably why the Bible speaks so much about money. It is too
easy for money to become the focus of our lives. After all, we need money to
live. But when our focus becomes money and the material things that we can buy
with it rather than life, we quickly find that no matter how much money we
have, it is never enough. And when we do not have enough, we go into debt. And
when we go into debt our lives focus even more on money.
The Biblical
instruction to tithe is really just an admission that everything actually
belongs to God. The land that Israel would gather their crops from was given to
them by God. He was the one that had led them into the land. It was all of his.
Therefore, they were dependant on him. With the tithe, our dependence on money
is broken. We begin to realize that we actually depend on God.
Financial
problems are among the top reasons why a marriage dissolves. It is also among
the top reasons why we find ourselves spiritually on the rocks. And God’s
answer to financial issues is simply to recognize our dependence on him through
the tithe.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading:
Deuteronomy 15
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