Encouragement for Today

December 19, 2024 Three Areas We Can Trust God With Today LYSA TERKEURST Lee en español

“You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. And before the LORD your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.” Deuteronomy 14:22-23 (ESV)

God isn’t into rushing through life. He’s into the slower rhythms, like dwelling, abiding, learning, remembering, and simply being in His presence.

That’s why today’s key Bible verses hit on something so crucial: If we truly want to honor God, we must trust Him with our pace, our place and our provision. Let’s unpack each of these further.

1. Our Pace.

Look at the slow nature of God’s instruction in Deuteronomy 14:22: “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed … year by year.” In other words, God tells His people to intentionally look upon and reflect on the fact that the harvest is His gift to us. In the case of the Israelites, this was an instruction for them not to rush their produce to the market without first acknowledging God and setting aside a portion of what He had given them.

For us today, this may look more like setting aside a financial tithe as an act of worship, not rushing past it. But there are other areas where we can fall into rushing as well: I know I’m guilty sometimes of letting my pace in life prevent me from pausing to look for and honor God’s hand of activity in my life. But here’s what I’m choosing to remember today: What is holy is never hurried.

Oh, how I long to live like this. I must learn to set aside what honors God if I’m ever going to live set apart by God.

2. Our Place.

In Deuteronomy 14:22, God’s people were to take their set-aside food and bring it into the presence of the Lord in the place where He chose to dwell. The place where we get truly refreshed and refilled is not an earthly destination, possession or relationship — what our souls long for is the presence of God, and there is no substitution for Him.

But the world tries to offer substitutions all the time. These are called “idols.” An idol can be anything we run to for comfort when our souls are crying out to be in the presence of God. It’s misplaced worship. It’s misplaced affection. It’s misplaced comfort.

God gave His people a rhythm of returning to His presence so they wouldn’t turn to idols. And this is still available to us today. We can pause right now, right where we are, and return to the place of God’s presence in worship.

3. Our Provision.

Pay close attention to God’s purpose in setting aside a tenth of the Israelites’ food: “that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always” (Deuteronomy 14:23). God didn’t need their food. He wasn’t asking them for a meal. This was an offering for the sole purpose of communion and connection to the Lord Himself. He wanted His presence to fill their hearts.

And while God no longer requires us to give Him a portion of grain or oil or flocks, we can still choose to honor Him by returning a tithe to Him. Not because God needs it but because He has our hearts. It’s an act of worship and surrender.

We honor God by returning to Him a portion of every bit of provision He entrusts to us.

And as we look at Jesus, He echoed these truths during His time on earth. He held fast to God’s desire for the slower rhythms. Though He drew a crowd, His heart was drawn to individual connection (Luke 8:40-56). He rose early to linger lovingly with His Father in prayer (Mark 1:35). He sought out opportunities to slow down and notice hurting individuals. He longed for intimate conversation with those closest to Him while enjoying long suppers (Mark 14:12-25).

Friend, we have His invitation today. An invitation to set some new rhythms in the routines of our lives … to slow down, dwell well in God’s presence, and linger a little longer in His love.

Father God, thank You for all of the many gifts You have poured out into my life. Especially the gift of Your presence. I am choosing today to slow my pace and seek Your face. I long to see You, hear You and know You. Teach me what it means to abide. Help me discover what it means to dwell. Stir in me a longing to linger. And fill my heart so full with Your presence that I can’t help but spill You everywhere I go. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

That which we don’t trust, we’ll try to control. Friend, it’s time to stop carrying the weight of holding everything and everybody together by surrendering what you’re most worried about into God’s fully capable hands. Lysa TerKeurst wants to help you take that first step in the pages of her new book, I Want to Trust You, but I Don't: Moving Forward When You're Skeptical of Others, Afraid of What God Will Allow, and Doubtful of Your Own Discernment. Get your copy here!

ENGAGE

Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (ESV).

What connection do you see between surrender and trust? We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.

© 2024 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.