Create Margins To Bless Others
"When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19:9-11
The instructions above might seem rather strange to us but God was simply asking the Israelites to make provision to care for the poor and needy in society. God asked them to leave some margins when they harvested their crops. They were not to harvest everything and consume it. Those margins at the edge of the field were to be intentionally left for the poor and those who were traveling through town, as a means of sustenance. The Israelites were also asked not to go over their vineyards a second time or to pick up grapes that had fallen on the ground.
Again, this was for the benefit of the poor.
Society will always have the poor and needy. The hungry and destitute are important to God.
God has a special concern about whether we consume all the blessings He gives us on ourselves or whether we make room to bless others in need. The Israelites were instructed not to harvest all their produce for themselves but to save some for those in need. They were mostly farmers and food was a direct way they could help those in need.
Today, our situation is different. Most of us work for paychecks and the most direct way we can help the needy is by intentionally creating margins in our paycheck so we can give to God's work and help those in need. God values and honors generosity. The people God truly blesses are those who have learned not to spend everything they make on themselves but they create margins in their time and treasures to help care for God's church and for causes that help those in need.
When others are hit with tragedies such as severe hurricanes that render thousands of people homeless, we should be able to give and help if we have intentionally created some margins.
The reason why many are not able to give is that we spend everything we make on ourselves and leave no room or margin to give to needs outside of ourselves. We don't intentionally budget to give to God or bless others. That is a rather sad way to live. It is amazing that even when we are blessed with more money, we still create no margins to give, but convince ourselves that God understands our situation as we selfishly spend all we make on ourselves. Our acquisitive propensity only seems to increase the more we are blessed.
I wonder what we would say to God when we stand before Him at the end of our days only to realize that we have so little awaiting us in heaven because we created no margin to give on earth! When we give to worthy causes such as God's work and to the needy, we do it for God.
Create margins to bless others.
Again, this was for the benefit of the poor.
Society will always have the poor and needy. The hungry and destitute are important to God.
God has a special concern about whether we consume all the blessings He gives us on ourselves or whether we make room to bless others in need. The Israelites were instructed not to harvest all their produce for themselves but to save some for those in need. They were mostly farmers and food was a direct way they could help those in need.
Today, our situation is different. Most of us work for paychecks and the most direct way we can help the needy is by intentionally creating margins in our paycheck so we can give to God's work and help those in need. God values and honors generosity. The people God truly blesses are those who have learned not to spend everything they make on themselves but they create margins in their time and treasures to help care for God's church and for causes that help those in need.
When others are hit with tragedies such as severe hurricanes that render thousands of people homeless, we should be able to give and help if we have intentionally created some margins.
The reason why many are not able to give is that we spend everything we make on ourselves and leave no room or margin to give to needs outside of ourselves. We don't intentionally budget to give to God or bless others. That is a rather sad way to live. It is amazing that even when we are blessed with more money, we still create no margins to give, but convince ourselves that God understands our situation as we selfishly spend all we make on ourselves. Our acquisitive propensity only seems to increase the more we are blessed.
I wonder what we would say to God when we stand before Him at the end of our days only to realize that we have so little awaiting us in heaven because we created no margin to give on earth! When we give to worthy causes such as God's work and to the needy, we do it for God.
Create margins to bless others.
Prayer: Lord, my life is not measured by the abundance of things I acquire on this earth. Please help me to create margins in my life so I can be a blessing to you and others in need. Amen.