Day 10 – God is Generous

Exodus 20:15 “Thou shalt not steal.” KJV

For Israel:

The Israelites were a group of people who were enslaved by the Egyptians for 400 years. During their time in Egypt, they were only allowed to be farmers and could only own what was permitted by the Pharaoh. As slaves, they belonged to their masters, who had the power to take anything they wanted from them. Enslaving a person is a form of stealing their life, as they can only do what is commanded of them. The Israelites understood this and taught their children the importance of relying on God’s provision and working hard. After all Exodus 20:8-11 says, “Six days you shall “labour”. Note the fact that this command is inclusive of all other commands. If you murder you steal a life, if you commit adultery, you steal someone’s spouse. If you do not remember the Sabbath, you steal time with God. If you do not respect your parents, you steal the authority bestowed on them. If you have other gods, you steal your own salvation. 

For today:

Today, many people have accepted stealing as a part of life and tend to rely on insurance to compensate for their losses. However, if we trust in God’s provision, we have comprehensive insurance from Him. He is a generous God who has the best plans for us. It’s easy to steal, and sometimes we may do it without realizing it, like taking a pen from work or leaving work early. But it’s important to God that His children are honest with each other and with Him. Taking anything that does not belong to us is stealing and goes against His commandment. Have you ever wondered why stealing is one of the commandments? 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace come in abundance to you, so that you may always have complete sufficiency in everything and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity”. God is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider. If you take from someone else, you in retrospect tell God He cannot provide for you according to your needs.

Prayer: Lord thank you for being Jehovah Jireh. Thank You for providing in abundance and that we lack nothing. Help us to be honest and respectful of what others have. Holy Spirit make us mindful of when we take something that is not ours. Protect us from others who deliberately take what belongs to us. I know that what is taken from me will be repaid in seven-fold. In Jesus Name, Amen.

By Marie Swanepoel for www.womenoftheword.co.za