DO IT ANYWAY!

       "And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:  Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose."  (Deut 14:24-25)

This text deals with the handling of the tithe, which belonged to the Lord (Lev 27:30). In thankfulness for the blessing of God, and in order to sanctify their produce, God told the people, "You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year" (14:22, NKJV). What is more, they were to bring the tithes of their grain to a place appointed by God. According to the Law, these were provisions for the Levites, whose lives were devoted to the service of the Lord. The Israelites were not only to bring their tithes to the place God appointed, but were to "rejoice before the Lord"with all their households and the Levites, for whom the provisions were brought (Deut 12:11-12).

       Again, in the fourteenth chapter, the Lord says, "And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always" (14:23, NKJV).

For some, particularly those with abundant harvests, the journey to the appointed place would be made with considerable difficulty. God did not offer the people a religion of convenience, so common in our day. For some, the journey would be "too long." Some would have such large tithes, they would not be "able to carry it." For others, the place chosen by the lord would be "too far." The place chosen by the Lord was not an equal distance for everyone. Some did not have far to travel, while others had to come a long way. What should those in such a case do? Did the inconvenience and hardship exempt them from the command of the Lord? Indeed not!

If the tithe of their corn, wine, oil, and firstlings of flocks and herds (14:23) was so large they could not negotiate the trip with it, they were to exchange it for something they could manage – "money." They were commanded to "take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses." After arriving there, they could exchange their money for whatever their soul desired, "oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink." This was then given to the Levites, whom they were "not to neglect," and for whom they were to take their produce and store it in the appropriate towns every three years (14:28).

There is a certain frame mind that is always to be present among those who fear the Lord. It involves a refusal to give in to inconvenience, taking the easy way. Many a professed believer suffers unnecessarily because they always take the easy way -- the most convenient way. If the way is too long, the burden to heavy, or the distance too great, they take the easy way. They give in to their feelings, their circumstances, and their moods, always wanting to do what is less complicated and less burdensome.  Faith, on the other hand, will compel the individual to do the will of the Lord anyway, inconvenient or not.

PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, free me from the convenience syndrome of this age.