Category Archives: Deuteronomy

Posted on

Behold the Kindness and Severity of God

God of Justice - God of Mercy

SYNOPSIS: Those who think of the Old Testament God as an angry, punishing deity are wrong. There is not one God of justice in the Old and another God of grace in the New; there is only a God who loves his children beyond description, patiently endures their rebellion, punishes the sin when they persist, but looks for ways to restore them to his favor as soon as he can. As the Apostle Paul exclaims, “Behold the kindness and severity of God.”

The Journey // Focus: Deuteronomy 30:1-4

In the future, when you experience all these blessings and curses I have listed for you, and when you are living among the nations to which the Lord your God has exiled you, take to heart all these instructions. If at that time you and your children return to the Lord your God, and if you obey with all your heart and all your soul all the commands I have given you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you and gather you back from all the nations where he has scattered you. Even though you are banished to the ends of the earth, the Lord your God will gather you from there and bring you back again.

I would argue that one of the disservices to the reader of our modern Bible translations is the addition of chapter and verse numbers. Of course, these were added to help us find our way around God’s Word. It would be quite difficult to find Psalm 119:64 when your pastor asks you to turn there during the sermon without a point of reference. So yes, chapter and verse numbers are helpful. I am not voting to get rid of them.

However, they were not there when these letters and books were originally penned. To that point, Moses didn’t divide Deuteronomy into sections: there were no chapters 28, 29 and 30; the blessings and the curses and the restoration from the curses were not seen as separate. It was one seamless sermon. That is critical to understanding God’s loving heart when he is warning the Israelites of the very bad things that will happen to them when they backslide into spiritual rebellion. If all you read about is the dark side of God’s punishment, you will fail to see the loving heart in which it is rooted.

The Apostle Paul’s word in Romans 11:22 perfectly describes the blessings/curses section of Deuteronomy: “Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.” The kindness and severity of God—that is it. God is both loving and just. He would not be one if he were not the other. If he is not just, then he is not loving. If he is not loving, then he cannot be just.

Furthermore, you cannot truly grasp the severity of God’s justice if you do not understand the longing of his heart to redeem the punished from their punishment. Again, take note of Moses’ seamless proclamation of the blessings and curses—and the restoration of the Israelites when they have been exiled for their persistent rebellion. Even in their punishment, God looks for repentant hearts so he can restore them to the promised blessing:

If at that time you and your children return to the Lord your God, and if you obey with all your heart and all your soul all the commands I have given you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes…. The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live!” (Deuteronomy 30:2-3,6)

Those who think of the Old Testament God as an angry, punishing deity are wrong. There is not one God of justice in the Old and another God of grace in the New; there is only a God who loves his children beyond description, patiently endures their rebellion, punishes their sin when they persist, but looks for ways to restore them to his favor as soon as he can. In an example that falls far short, God is like a loving parent who warns his children about their misbehavior, sends them to time out when they cross the line, but does not leave them there forever. In fact, that parent counts down the time when pardon is possible.

That is the Lord our God—the One who longs to forgive and restore. That is why the prophet Joel offered this plea:

“Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead,” says the Lord. Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse.

An angry God—not in the least!

Going Deeper: Is God warning you about your sin? Repent, for he longs to keep you in his favor. Is he punishing you for rebellion in your life? Turn to him, for he longs to restore you to the blessings. Do you see him as an angry, vindictive Deity? Let go of that picture once and for all, for he is a loving and compassionate Father who loves you with an everlasting love.

Posted on

A Need To Know Basis

The Secret Things Belong to the Lord Our God

SYNOPSIS: While we want to know everything that God knows—on its face, a ridiculous desire—he keeps certain things to himself! Like a good parent with a small child, he gives us bits and pieces of information at a time, as we are able to absorb and obey it. We couldn’t handle a divine data dump of everything God knows; it would overload us and even damage our development. Rather, he gives us what we need and simply asks us to obey it. And with what we don’t know, he asks us to trust.

The Journey // Focus: Deuteronomy 29:29

The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.

I think you would agree, whether you are a parent, grandparent or a teacher, that a child’s ability to grasp information is connected to his or her level of emotional and intellectual development. When we teach our little ones, we give them bits and pieces at a time, but not the whole wagonload of knowledge. They couldn’t handle it if we did; we would overload them and even damage their development. We simply teach them at their current level, helping them to understand and obey what they know.

So it is with God. And while we want to know everything within his domain of knowledge—which we know, on its face, is a ridiculous desire—he keeps certain things to himself. We may have a spiritual tantrum, stomp our feet and demands answers, but he doesn’t give into our “why God” whining. Sure, as we mature, he reveals deeper truths to us, but like a good parent, there are things we are not yet ready to handle. And in those cases, he simply wants us to trust and obey.

It will always be that way in our walk with God. I suspect it will even be that way in eternity. While we will have unlimited capacity to grasp the deep things of God in the eternal future, we still won’t know everything within his domain—that would make us God. We will, however, be on an ever-increasing journey of grasping the revelation of God throughout the endless age, for there is no limit to the mind of God. How exciting! Those who think of heaven as sitting on a cloud and strumming a harp for eternity are in for a big surprise; they will instead find a boundless adventure of growing, learning, discovering, achieving and reigning over God’s ever-expanding creation.

But for the time being, God has revealed certain things to us. He has given us what we need to know. Of course, we have to unpack it—know it, develop it into wisdom through the disciplines of the faith, and apply it practically in our everyday lives through obedience. We have to prove ourselves faithful with the information we have. Yet there remain secret things that he has not yet revealed. With those, we simply need to trust. With some of the thing of God, we are on a need to know basis.

It is likely that when Moses spoke to Israel of God’s secrets, he was referring to their future. And by that he was simply telling them not to get caught up in what might or might not happen in the future—a year, or ten or a lifetime later; that was an outcome known only to God. Their responsibility was simply to be accountable for the conditions of the covenant today. They were to trust and obey God today; God would take care of their tomorrow.

The next time you wrestle with the unknown, and perhaps are frustrated that God has not given you an adequate explanation, remember Deuteronomy 29:29. The truth is, whether you like it or not, the secret things belong to the Lord your God, but the things he has revealed to you are adequate for today. Obey them and trust God with what you don’t know and can’t see.

You are on a need to know basis with God. And while there are some things you may never know, what you do know is that he has a flawless track record of accomplishing his good, perfect and pleasing will in the lives of his people.

Going Deeper: Memorize Deuteronomy 29:29. It might seem like a strange verse to commit to memory, but believe me, it will come back to you at just the right moment, probably when you are frustrated with not knowing everything God knows.

Posted on

When Much Is Given, Much Is Required

At The Very Least, Serving Him With Love And Enthusiasm

SYNOPSIS: Why would God threaten Israel with such immense and unspeakable suffering in the Law of Moses for their disobedience? The answer lies in God’s sovereign call upon them and the price he paid to redeem them out of Egypt to be his own people. They had received much, now much was required of them. Similarly, as redeemed followers of Jesus, we have been given much: salvation at no cost to us, paid in full through Christ’s sacrificial, substitutionary death. We have received much; much will be required. And what is required is nothing less than to continually and eternally serve him with joy and enthusiasm!

The Journey // Focus: Deuteronomy 28:7-48

If you do not serve the Lord your God with joy and enthusiasm for the abundant benefits you have received, you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you.

Nowhere in the Bible is the blessing of God contrasted with the cursing of God as clearly as in Deuteronomy 28. On the one hand, when the people whom God chose to be his very own hold up their end of the covenant, the blessings he promises to pour out upon them would make the so-called prosperity gospel of modern American Christianity look tame by comparison. God is clear that obedience to all of his commands will lead to, among other things,

  • Dominion: “Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world.” (Deuteronomy 28:1)
  • Success: “Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed.” (Deuteronomy 28:6)
  • Wealth: “The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain.” (Deuteronomy 28:8)
  • Divine Favoritism: “Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of you…. the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom.” (Deuteronomy 28:10,13)

And while is it not specifically enumerated as one of the blessings of obedience in this chapter, physical health is clearly one of the benefits as well. As Moses spells out the awful curses that will result from wanton disregard of God’s commands, the removal of health and the affliction of disease will be one of the first consequences Israel experiences.

Then after describing these incredible blessings of obedience, Moses gives a long graphic warning of what will happen if Israel violates their covenantal commitment. The list is extensive, hard to hear, dark and depressing—intentionally so. God anticipates that over time, his people will drift from full devotion to him and began to chase after false gods, so he wants to be very clear that nothing less than cruel suffering will be the consequence of their backsliding. Indeed, the very things Moses enumerates in this chapter literally occurred at different points in Israel’s future history during extended seasons of spiritual rebellion. I won’t take the time to list them here, so you will have to read them for yourself. But fair warning: they are awful.

So why would God threaten his people with such immense and unspeakable suffering? Well, I would ask a similar question: Why would God promise his people such immense and indescribable blessing? The answer to both questions lies, in part, to God’s sovereign call upon Israel. Both the unspeakable curses and the indescribable blessings can only be explained in the context of his rights of ownership over Israel. Due to no worthiness of their own, God chose them to be his own people from all the nations of the earth. Israel belonged to him as no other people did. He had poured out his unrestrained favor upon them, and he now called them to serve him with “joy and enthusiasm for the abundant benefits.” It was only right that Israel would remain fully devoted to the Lord their God. If they did, ever-increasing blessings of abundance awaited; if they didn’t, ceaseless curses would be unleashed.

Jesus described a similar contrast of blessings and curses in Luke 12:47-48 in an eschatological illustration known as the Parable of the Banquet:

The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Perhaps this, more than anything, describes the incredible joys of obedience and the unspeakable pain of disobedience: to whom much has been given, much will be demanded. You and I, as redeemed followers of Jesus, have been given much: salvation at no cost to us, paid in full through his sacrificial, substitutionary death. We have received his abundant benefits—how could we not continually and eternally serve him with joy and enthusiasm?

Going Deeper: Assess the joy and enthusiasm level of your service to God. If it is lagging, take some time to review the abundant benefits of the free grace you have received. That should do the trick.

Posted on

Burdensome Rules or Relational Blessings

God’s Law is God’s Love

SYNOPSIS: You don’t huff and roll your eyes whenever you see a traffic sign that reminds you, “Danger Ahead: Reduce Speed.” No, you subconsciously say, “It’s there for safety—mine and others.” So why get bent out of shape when God’s law is preached and you are warned of wrong behavior and called to right living? God’s law is God’s covenant of love, and there are blessings for obeying it and consequences for not. The Bible is not a burdensome rulebook, it is an amazing relational covenant that will lead a life of abundance with God and with others. When you read the Old Testament, learn to think of God’s law as God’s love.

The Journey // Focus: Deuteronomy 27:1,8,10

Then Moses and the leaders of Israel gave this charge to the people: “Obey all these commands that I am giving you today…. You must clearly write all these instructions on the stones coated with plaster…. So you must obey the Lord your God by keeping all these commands and decrees that I am giving you today.

Deuteronomy is the Greek word for second law. Actually, it was the first law given a second time. As Moses nears the end of his administration over Israel and the people of Israel now stand at the edge of the Promised Land, ready to go in and take possession of it, one final time their leader reminds them of the covenantal relationship God has called them into. What might appear to us as yet another endless lists of rules to obey is actually a powerful reminder to them of the blessings and curses associated with this covenant.

In our world, we tend to associate law with legalism, and we don’t like it. We don’t want to be reminded of the rules. We would much prefer to talk about grace, which in reality, is often code for don’t hold me accountable for my attitudes and actions; I want the freedom to be my own master. We can insist on that until we are blue in the face, but God is not swayed. He is still a covenantal God. And he still expects us to abide by the rules of the covenant.

Now of course, keeping rules does not save us. Let’s be clear about that one more time. We are saved by grace through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is not by works of law keeping, period. Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us, and that is what saves our bacon. Yet our salvation evidences itself in how we behave. We may not have to keep the rules, but we honor the rules because we are saved—rules that demonstrate our love for God and our love for one another.

Let me offer an earthy illustration. I entered into a human covenant with my wife the day we spoke our wedding vows to one another. It was an act dominated by love, not rule-keeping. Yet we both promised to each other to keep certain rules: faithfulness to one another exclusively, cherishing each other unconditionally, loving and respecting the other through thick and thin, ‘til death do us part. We joyfully embraced those rules, not as burdensome, but as continual reminders of our covenantal love. After years of marriage, we do not verbally repeat the rulebook to each other, but we do live the rules out in our attitudes, words and actions. And if ever we sense dissonance in our covenantal commitment, you bet we talk specifics. It is what love does. No, our marriage vows are not burdensome rules. They are a cherished and necessary part of our relational covenant.

It is in the context of relationships that God called Israel into covenant. It is a covenant that spells out how God will treat them and how they will treat God and how they will treat each other—not as separate subsections of the contract, but as a seamless way of living. The covenant makes it plain that commitment will be lovingly demonstrated by specific obedience. The covenant is likewise quite clear as to the blessings of obedience and curses of disobedience. Now once again, this only makes sense in the context of love—God’s love for his people, their love for God, and God’s love through them for each another. The rules are simply a reminder of that love.

All that to say, rules are not burdensome; they are reminders of a very powerful relational covenant. Now we don’t woodenly apply many of those Mosaic rules today—our situation is different. We don’t have a Levitical priesthood that needs to pronounce us ceremonially clean from mold in our home; we don’t need to sprinkle ashes from a red heifer to relieve our contamination from touching a corpse; we don’t sacrifice animals to purify us from sin. Most of those Old Testament laws were subsumed in the sacrifice of Jesus. But that doesn’t mean we throw the baby out with the bath water. We still follow the rule of loving God and loving each other; of not lying, or lusting or stealing—hopefully. So we have to be mature enough as it relates to Mosaic Law to know what is still literally to be obeyed and what is only spiritually to be observed. This spiritual maturity recognizes that the rules remind us of love, and love is demonstrated in obedience to covenant.

So give the law a break! Don’t roll your eyes or huff when the Old Testament is preached or you are called to adjust your behavior or a sobering reminder of the covenant is given. You don’t huff and eye-roll whenever you see a traffic sign that reminds you, “Danger Ahead: Reduce Speed.” No, you subconsciously say, “that is there for safety—mine and others.” And you know there are blessings for obeying it and consequences for not.

God’s law is God’s love. Look at it through the lens of covenantal love and you will never read the Old Testament again as a burdensome set of rules to keep. No, you will gratefully think of it as an amazing relational covenant—one that became even more amazing as it was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Going Deeper: Re-read Deuteronomy 27 through the lens of love, as your marriage vows to God. I think you will read it much more accurately and joyfully.

Posted on

It’s As Good As Done

God Does What He Says

SYNOPSIS: When God makes promises, they are as good as done. How is that? Well, obviously, we believe that God is a promise keeping God. He always does what he says. That is our theological theorem. But in a way that we may forget, his promises are good as done because when he makes them, he is already in the future where he has secured their fulfillment. That is why Moses could say to the Israelites, and I can say to you, “when you have conquered it…” Not if, but when. With God and you, it is only a matter of timing.

The Journey // Focus: Deuteronomy 26:1-2

When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession and you have conquered it and settled there, put some of the first produce from each crop you harvest into a basket and bring it to the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored.

Much of Deuteronomy 26 focuses on the tithe and offerings the Israelites were to bring to God once they had taken possession of Canaan and settled into their Promised Land. They were to give these material offerings to the Lord in gratitude and in recognition of his loving lordship over their lives. It is my personal belief that while the New Testament doesn’t specifically mandate this, the spirit of generous giving in response to the generous giving and loving rulership of God is just as important today—and just as blessable.

However, while that is the point of this chapter, I want to focus on a statement that might otherwise be hidden in the overall message of this chapter. It comes in the very first verse, and it is incredibly powerful and encouraging. Notice that Moses said, “when you enter the land” and when “you have conquered it”. Not if, but when. You see, when God makes a promise, it is as good as done.

Toward the end of this chapter, Moses details a few of the other promises God made to Israel, Of course, they were contingent upon the Israelite’s obedience—we would expect no less. But likewise notice these additional good-as-done promises:

Today the Lord your God has commanded you to obey all these decrees and regulations. So be careful to obey them wholeheartedly. You have declared today that the Lord is your God. And you have promised to walk in his ways, and to obey his decrees, commands, and regulations, and to do everything he tells you. The Lord has declared today that you are his people, his own special treasure, just as he promised, and that you must obey all his commands. And if you do, he will set you high above all the other nations he has made. Then you will receive praise, honor, and renown. You will be a nation that is holy to the Lord your God, just as he promised.

Those promises, conditioned upon obedience, are promises that your God makes to you, too. And what was true for Israel is true for you: Since God has made them, they are as good as done. How is that? Well, obviously, we believe that God is a promise keeping God. He always does what he says. That is our theological theorem. But in a way that we may forget, his promises are good as done because when he makes them, he is already in the future where he has already secured their fulfillment. That is why Moses could say to the Israelites, and I can say to you, “when you have conquered it…” Not if, but when. With God’s promise and your reality, it is only a matter of timing.

I hope that builds confidence in your heart today. I don’t know if today will be the day you actualize a divine promise—I hope so—but at the very least, you will have taken one more step of faith closer to what God has foreordained. He is already there ahead of you and has secured your victory. So as you walk forward in faith and obedience, you are simply going where God already is.

Now that should build some momentum for you as you head out the door today!

Going Deeper: Reflect on the promises God made to Israel. Now claim those for yourself by restating them using your name instead of Israel’s: I am his child, his own special treasure, just as he promised. As I obey him, he will set me high above all others. I will receive praise, honor, and renown. I will be a person who is holy to the Lord my God, just as he promised.

Posted on

When You Are Gone You Will Not Be Forgotten

Salvation Guarantees You'll Be Celebrated Throughout Eternity

SYNOPSIS: Everyone wants to be remembered. No one who ever lived wants their memory to drift into the sea of forgetfulness. We were born to make a mark, to matter, to at least be remembered by those we loved, and deep inside, perhaps subconsciously, by our Creator. The good news is, that matters to God, too! That is why he offers you an amazing eternal life insurance policy through his Son, Jesus. Through him, while you might be gone one day from time, you will never be forgotten in eternity.

The Journey// Focus: Deuteronomy 25:5-6

If two brothers are living together on the same property and one of them dies without a son, his widow may not be married to anyone from outside the family. Instead, her husband’s brother should marry her…to fulfill the duties of a brother-in-law. The first son she bears to him will be considered the son of the dead brother, so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel.

Everyone wants to be remembered. No person who ever lived wants their memory to drift into the sea of forgetfulness. We were born to make a mark, to matter, to at least be remembered by those we loved, and deep inside, perhaps subconsciously, by our Creator. And of the many reasons the fear of death is a universal dread, at the top of the fear heap is our subterranean anxiety of one day being gone and forgotten.

God has made a way for us to be remembered, that while we may be gone, we will not be forgotten. Even more than our desire to live a life that matters, this matters even more to the God who gave us life. That is why he provided a law that governed the death of a person without an heir in Deuteronomy 25:5-6. This ruling clearly reveals God’s concern that while the dearest of his creation—man—might die, he will be remembered forever. But you have to look beyond this ancient law to see God’s heart on the matter of us mattering.

More on that in a moment, but first, let’s consider this ancient law: It might seem a bit quirky to us, or a lot, that if a man died without a son, the man’s brother would have to marry the widow. Today, would we say, “thank you, but no thanks!” But remember, as we have already seen in Mosaic Law, God commanded his people to preserve their lineage and their property by keeping it all in the family.

Why? God had his reasons, but I believe that one of those reasons was nothing less than his original plan to give his creation eternal life. Death was not a part of the package when God created Adam and Eve. Death was an intrusion caused by human sin; that is why the rest of human history is redemptive. God is reinstituting eternal life insurance. Could it be that this particular law was a preview of that, what we might call a type of eternal life? I think so. It is clearly implied in the words:

The first son she bears to him will be considered the son of the dead brother, so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel

So what does that say to us living in a day far removed from ancient Israel’s strict laws that keep property within the family and preserve a man’s name forever? Again, your name—who you are, your very existence—matters to God. He created you for his purpose and glory, and he desires to be in relationship with you now and forever. That, by the way, is what is unique about your God among all the false gods people cling to: Yahweh, the Self-existent One, the Creator of all, is relational, personal and generously loving. Furthermore, he designed and built you for eternal life.

Yet you will die. Me, too. But that doesn’t have to be the end of our memory. Our name can be celebrated for all eternity, not just in the memories of those who love us, but most importantly, in the presence of the One who gave us life, our Creator God. And the premium for eternal life insurance policy was forever paid by his Son, Jesus Christ, who through his sacrificial death, has guaranteed that your name—who you are, your very existence, your living-breathing-active-accomplishing life will carry on with purpose and joy forever and ever in God’s unceasing and ever-expanding reality.

But you have to sign up for the policy!

Going Deeper: If you have not done so, personally accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you have, take a moment to thank him that through his Son, you will never be gone and forgotten, rather, you will always be known and celebrated.

Posted on

The Spirit of Abundance

Try Living Openhandedly

SYNOPSIS: We can live with a spirit of scarcity that believes and acts from the mindset that what I have is mine; that I need to protect it; that to give it away means a negative on the profit/loss sheet of my life. Or we can live the way God created us to live: from a spirit of abundance. God’s Word tells us that he is the giver of everything we have anyway, and we are to trust him with it. Trust, then, leads us to live with a loose grip on what we have; a loose grip that opens the hand and generously gives it away. Likewise, trust is convinced of God’s promise that as we live generously open-handed, he will make sure our hands are always full.

Going Deep // Focus: Deuteronomy 24:19-22

When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all you do. When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don’t go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don’t glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command.

One of the first social interactions we experience as human beings is in the sandbox. And the first words of that interaction go something like this: “Mine!” Then we grab our toy and clutch it tightly to our chest. From then on out, we get pretty good at being selfish, which is no surprise since we get a lot of practice at it throughout the rest of our lives. The reason for this is that being self-focused was rewired into our DNA at the fall. You see, the essence of sin is to tend to what self wants instead of what God wants. And of course, that leads to selfishness in every area. It is just the drift of the natural man. That is why David prayed,

Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. (Psalm 119:36)

But there is a better way—selflessness. To be unselfish means to be God-focused and others-oriented. And to be God-focused and others-oriented requires our trust that God will supply what he calls us to give away, a mindset of abundance that is convinced there is more than enough, and the obedience of generosity that opens the hand and releases what we possess. Trust, abundance and generosity—the antithesis of sin, the polar opposite of selfishness.

We can live with a spirit of scarcity that believes and acts from the mindset that what I have is mine; that I need to protect it; that to give it away means a negative on the profit/loss sheet of my life. Or we can live the way God created us to live: from a spirit of abundance. God’s Word tells us that he is the giver of everything we have anyway, and we are to trust him with it. Trust, then, leads us to live with a loose grip on what we have; a loose grip that opens the hand and generously gives it away. Likewise, trust is convinced of God’s promise that as we live generously open-handed, he will make sure our hands are always full.

This is the cycle of abundance is the law of the universe. It is an immutable law. It says that the more we give away, the more God gives us to give away. But we have to trust God to give us more, or we will hold back what we have in fear, selfish and from an impoverished spirit of scarcity.

God was calling the Israelites to live from a spirit of abundance in Deuteronomy 24:19-22. They were to give generously and intentionally so that others would receive blessings through them as if it were from God himself, which had been what Israel had experienced during their time of need. God was now calling them to be the conduit of generosity, and the call came with a promise: “Then the Lord your God will bless you in all you do.”

That is God’s call to you and me, too. To be open-handedly, proactively, intentionally generous. And he has promised to meet our spirit of abundance with heavens abundance. Like the Israelites, he wants to make us a conduit of ridiculous generosity, so that the more we give away, the more he will give us to give away.

The spirit of abundance—it takes trust, but it is a terrific way to live.

Going Deeper With God: Find a way to be generous today—with your treasure, your talent and your time. Do it, and God will see to it that you have more than enough treasure, talent and time left over.