May 23, 2022 8:00 pm
General Charles Gordon (1833–85) served Queen Victoria in China and elsewhere, but when living in England he’d give away 90 percent of his income. When he heard about a famine in Lancashire, he scratched off the inscription from a pure gold medal he’d received from a world leader and sent it up north, saying they should melt it down and use the money to buy bread for the poor. That day he wrote in his diary: “The last earthly thing I had in this world that I valued I have given to the Lord Jesus.”
General Gordon’s level of generosity might seem above and beyond what we’re able to extend, but God has always called His people to look out for those in need. In some of the laws He delivered through Moses, God instructed the people not to reap to the edges of their field nor to gather all of the crop. Instead, when harvesting a vineyard, He said to leave the grapes that had fallen “for the poor and the foreigner” (Leviticus 19:10). God wanted His people to be aware of and provide for the vulnerable in their midst.
However generous we may feel, we can ask God to increase our desire to give to others and to seek His wisdom for creative ways to do so. He loves to help us show His love to others.
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Hello and welcome.
I'm Amy Boucher-Pye. Thank you for joining us for today's reading from the Our Daily Bread Devotional. I called it Generous Giving. General Charles Gordon served Queen Victoria in China and elsewhere, but when living in England he'd give away 90% of his income. When he heard about a famine in Lancashire, he scratched off the inscription from a pure gold medal he received from a world leader and sent it up north, saying they should melt it down and use the money to buy bread for the poor. That day he wrote in his journal, The last earthly thing I had in this world that I valued, I have given to the Lord Jesus. General Gordon's level of generosity might seem above and beyond what we're able to extend, but God has always called his people to look out for those in need. In some of the laws he delivered through Moses, God instructed the people not to reap to the edges of their field nor gather the entire crop. Instead, when harvesting a vineyard, he said to leave the grapes that had fallen for the poor and the foreigner. God wanted his people to be aware of and provide for the vulnerable in their midst. However generous we may feel, we can ask God to increase our desire to give to others and to seek his wisdom for creative ways to do so.
He loves to help us show his love to others. Our reading from scripture today comes from Leviticus chapter 19 verses 9 and 10. 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. Let's pray together. Giving Father, thank you for sending Jesus to live as one of us and to die for us. Help us to understand more deeply what this gift means for us as you fill our hearts with love and gratitude. We pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-04-15 07:48:02 / 2023-04-15 07:49:19 / 1
