… and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok, answered, "Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the LORD has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over." – 2 Chronicles 31:10

Today's Scripture Reading (April 20, 2023): 2 Chronicles 31

Money. No matter the arena, money is a sensitive topic. I have friends who say that they love to talk about the subject; after all, it is one of the things that the Bible does talk about. And if there is anything that we need instruction on, it is the subject of money. If we are willing to live the way the Bible instructs, we might even have more of the stuff. But God's way is challenging. It involves living on what we have and not going into debt. That move alone would leave most of us financially in a much better place. The temptation to possess today rather than wait until we can afford the item is often too much for us. Don't get me wrong; debt is a necessary evil with some big-ticket items. But the ready availability of credit often invites us to bite off more than we can actually chew. We make purchases that are beyond what we need and can afford, and in the process, we ensure our poverty and become slaves (note to my computer: insensitive language intended) to the banks—but having someone tell us that is often insulting.

Another part of God's plan is to tithe and give ten percent of what we earn to the church so that it can function. But that is another sensitive topic, especially if the religious organization tends to waste money. I have to admit that I am sometimes embarrassed by how some organizations spend what has been donated to them. CEOs and pastors who direct massive amounts of funding to their own accounts and live extravagant lives are only one way that makes me more than a little self-conscious when I talk about money. And yet, I also know the blessing of using our money in the way God intends.

There is abundance in the House of the Lord, reflecting the abundance that God has given to the people. The people of Judah had been stingy with their giving, until Hezekiah talks to them about money. He reminds them that the duty to bring money into the storehouse belongs to everyone, not just a few. And the people respond. Finally, those who minister in God's house have enough to eat and no longer have to go hungry.

Sometimes, I think that part of our problem is that we don't recognize the blessings that God has given to us. Because our eyes have expanded our wants, we dwell on what we cannot afford rather than acknowledging all the ways that we are better off than people in other parts of the world. We have already received, so now it is time to give back so that there can once more be abundance in the House of God that will spill over to care for those in need, just as God intended it to be.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 20