Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional by Kenton Cheek

15 March 2024

Reading From Deuteronomy 14-16

“However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.

If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.”

–Deuteronomy 15:4-11

     The first few verses of this passage describe a utopia in which all of God’s children are fully obedient to Him; what life would have been like for Israel had they held up their end of the covenant.  Unfortunately, the twelve tribes did not follow Yahweh and the results were heartbreaking and disastrous.  From what has been revealed about the New Heaven and the New Earth, there will be no sin there and therefore no poverty.  The second part of this passage about the poor assumes there will be impoverished people in Israel, which implies that God knew that they would not obey Him. 

      God could have left it at that.  “Well, you can’t seem to get it right, so now you’ll have poor people among you and you’ll just have to deal with it.”  But the Perfect Parent would not just allow His children to sit in their mess.  He made provision as He is always faithful to do.  Generosity is God’s plan for helping others.  If a person is given something and they hold it tightly in their hand, they cannot be given anymore because it will just roll right off their clenched fist.  But if they open their hand to give it away, their hand is open to receive more and more. 

     It is interesting to me that Yahweh instructs the ancient Israelites to lend freely to the poor what they need.  Not what they want.  What they need.  The result is that those who can afford to give will be blessed in their work.  Hard work and generosity are both at play here.  God doesn’t want us to work hard and hoard everything we earn.  We are to work hard, give generously, enjoy His blessing and let this spiritual-economic cycle continue. 

“God give me compassion for those who are less fortunate than I am.  I need Your strength to work hard every day.  I pray that as I minister to those in need that You will also give them strength and wisdom to move onward and upward as we grow together.  Bring repentance to those stuck in a victim mentality and to those imprisoned by their own greed.  Help us to love one another and show that love in practical ways.  Amen.”

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.

–II Thessalonians 3:6-13