Deuteronomy 26: Giving Thanks

Deuteronomy 26:17 NKJV ( read Deuteronomy ch. 26)

Today you have proclaimed the Lord to be your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments, and that you will obey His voice.

We as a people have so much issue with the church and money. A preacher behind a pulpit opens the Bible and talks about money and everyone tunes out, falls asleep, and runs for the hills. I’m no different. Funny story, my wife and I were being led by God to attend the church we are currently attending. We had visited the church on special occasions, valentine’s dinners and such, but had never really been to a normal service. When we felt the Lord’s pull and we decided to make it a home, the very first message, the very first week, he taught on money, in fact, he did a three week series on it. I was VERY put off by it. We almost changed our minds. Why is that?

Some preachers have used the ministry for earthly gain, yes, but we just use that as an excuse. Money is an important thing. Without it, we actaully can’t do a whole lot. No groceries, no power, no hot water, and although it might seem shallow, but go a day or two without food and you’ll be looking for some money to buy it. We earn our money through our hard work and it tends to become a “mine” issue. “I” earned it, it’s “mine”. Although this may be true, we got up went to work and earned a paycheck, it’s also the same pride that we start to fail. We forget that it was God who gave us life and got us the job in the first place.

Moses finishes his discourse on the commands. This is actaully a chapter on remembrance, not giving. Although, they go hand in hand. The Lord wants us to remember what He’s done for us and respond accordingly. He brought tham out of Egypt and to a land flowing with milk and honey, He did it and they couldn’t have done it without Him. They should respond with gratitude. There in lies the issue. Trust and gratitude.

Remember when Israel started the journey to the Promised land? They didn’t trust Him. They spent 40 years in the desert while the Lord brought up a people that did trust him, now, after all that He’s done, it’s time to show that they are grateful.

Tithing is about trust and gratitude, do we trust Him with our money? Pastor Frank in his message on giving said this, “I find it funny that we can give our lives to Him, but not our money.” It’s true, we proclaim that we have given our lives to Him, but when it comes to money, that’s ours, no gratitude. Yes, the giving is the means in which the church is funded, and as well it should be. Sometimes some preachers have abused this.

Giving is more than that, it’s remembering what the Lord has done. Done for you, in you, and with you, gratefully giving thanks, in an act of worship. Showing it in physical action. Every relationship we have is built in a foundation of trust, how can we give our lives to Him, and not trust him with our money.

It just doesn’t make any sense.