Joshua 7-9 | Luke 1:21-38

“At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite.” Deuteronomy 15:1-2

Do we know anyone who owes us any money? Could we imagine cancelling their debt towards us if they were unable to repay it even after seven years? This was exactly what God called the Israelites to do every seventh year, which was also known as the Sabbath year. Deuteronomy 15:1-3 tells us, “At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the LORD’s time for cancelling debts has been proclaimed…” God was calling the Israelites to something extreme, teaching them to be open-handed and generous towards the needs of others.

Deuteronomy 15:7-8, 10 continues, “If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted towards them. Rather, be open-handed and freely lend them whatever they need…. 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.” The people of God were to be marked by generosity, benevolence, sharing and not greed. This was completely other and different. What God was trying to cultivate in the Israelites is also true of our lives today. We are to be open-handed and generous towards others. When we do, we will see that God takes care of all our needs too.

One of our mission partners, Bill and Tammy Woods, serve in Chiapas, Mexico. When Bill saw another farmer in need of a truck and he had a truck, he told Tammy that he felt like God was telling him to give their truck away. Tammy responded, “Okay. If God is telling you to do it, you better obey.” And Bill did. Bill and Tammy operated a large farm to grow food and produce for orphans that they took care of; and now, they were out of a truck. A few weeks later, a man from the United States went down to visit their ministry and came with a new truck. At the end of his visit, the man said, “You know, I feel like God is telling me to give you my truck.” And this man did that and flew home. 

As we live into being people defined by the generosity of God, we experience God at work in our lives when we are not tight-fisted towards people that He is calling us to bless.

PRAYER

Dear God, cultivate in me a heart of generosity towards others. Not just with people who can repay me, but with others who cannot. Thank You, Lord, for Your blessings in my life.