Scripture
Nehemiah 10:38-39
38 “A priest—a descendant of Aaron—will be with the Levites as they receive these tithes. And a tenth of all that is collected as tithes will be delivered by the Levites to the Temple of our God and placed in the storerooms. 39 The people and the Levites must bring these offerings of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the storerooms and place them in the sacred containers near the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the singers. “We promise together not to neglect the Temple of our God.”
Observation
I’ve never noticed this ‘secondary tithe’ before! The people of Israel made a pledge to give a tenth of their increase as a tithe to God–but then the Levites were to take a tenth of the tenth (a tithe of the tithe?) to the storerooms of the temple.
The result was that as each family gave intentionally and in a structured way, not only were the immediate needs of the priests and Levites met but also there was a buffer created for future needs that would arise. When the community committed together to make this happen, it wasn’t an unmanageable burden on any one person or family–it became a shared responsibility to which they all committed.
Application
God blesses His people, in order to meet needs. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the blessings of God–but God has a purpose for the blessings that He gives! When His people commit to honoring Him with the things He has entrusted to them, the entire community is affected. Needs are met, burdens are eased, difficulty becomes momentum, and God’s Kingdom keeps on growing.
I can’t make any of this happen on my own–but I can do my part, with the things that God has entrusted to me. This requires me to intentionally manage and steward the things that God has given me, instead of treating my blessings with carelessness.
Today I choose to be intentional with my blessings and resources. I get to enjoy them–and I get to enjoy being a blessing to those around me!
Prayer
God, thank you for blessing my life! I want to be a blessing to others, instead of wandering through life only focused on myself. I choose today to honor You with my finances and my resources. I can’t meet every need, but You can–and when I live and give with intentionality I know that You will use the little that I have, to make a difference in someone’s life. Thank you for the privilege of serving You!
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