Tag Archive - give

give

March 7, 2011 in nehemiah with 0 Comments

Nehemiah 10:32-33

[32] “We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: [33] for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

Give. Sometimes it is so easy to give. It is easy to give to family, we love to give presents. It is easy to give to children, to friends. It is easy to pick up the bill every once and a while, when going out to eat with friends.

Is it easy to give to God?

I love my wife, and I love spending time with her. I love buying her gifts.

Then I say I love God…

Do I spend time reading His word and praying? Do I make sure to give of my time and talents? Do I make sure to give back to Him, when He’s so richly blessed me?

If you’re anything like me, you struggle in giving, when it involves God.

Today, this hour, give to God of your time. If you have 1 minute to spare, spend it praying for someone else, and asking God to guide you through the next hour. If you have 5, read just 1 chapter from His word and pray that He speaks to you through it. If you have more, do both, and pray for your family and friends who are lost.

You’ll find that you have more time than you thought.

in Christ,

Isaiah

generous

December 14, 2010 in nehemiah with 0 Comments

Nehemiah 5:14-16

[14] Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. [15] The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. [16] I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.

Generous.  I’m not referring to the portions of food that we eat, myself included.  Each time I restart counting calories I’m amazed by the amount of food that I can consume in a day, never thinking about how insanely overfed I am, we are, here in America.  It convicts, me, especially when we start reading Nehemiah 5.

Some of the Israelites are literally starving, having sold their land, goods and even sometimes themselves in order to pay for grain.  Even worse, each generation becomes more enslaved because those who could help, now can’t, because they are indebted as well.  The nobles are not doing right by their fellow man, not following God’s command.

Nehemiah becomes the governor and is supposed to exact a certain amount of food every day from his people.  He technically wouldn’t be wronging in requiring this of the people, nor would the people think anything of it, as all others have done it in the past… but he doesn’t.  He does not eat the food allowance of the governor, but rather from his own stock, his own wealth, he feeds himself and 150 other Jews. (v17)

Nehemiah wasn’t just generous with his wealth, he also gave of his time.  He, himself, worked on the wall, toiled alongside his fellow Jews.  He didn’t just stop at giving money or food, he gave of himself.

And I think that’s where we usually stop.  We’re happy to give money to help someone far away, but much less willing to go to another country ourselves.

We’re glad to give food and help someone in need, as long as it doesn’t take up too much of our time.

We give, but not ourselves.  We donate wealth, but not our time.

Let’s change that.  Let us, you and I, become generous not just with money or food… but with our time, serving, relating, sharing, enjoying one another’s company.

Let’s give of ourselves, not of our money, so that we can then HAVE the money to help those truly in need.

in Christ,

Isaiah