Be A Nut Job - Daily Devotional April 24th, 2010

Bible Reading - Numbers 2, Psalm 36, Ecclesiastes 12, Philemon 1

Be a Nut Job

A few weeks ago I quit my job, after talking with my husband, praying and asking for advice from our parents, pastors and closest friends, my husband and I decided I had to quit my job. It wasn’t an easy decision considering we are newlyweds and we want to have a family some day and provide that family with a house, stability and many other things; but it was a decision that had to be made.

We decided I was going to spend a season dedicating my time and energy to God. I wasn’t going to look for a job, and I wasn’t going to stress about money, I was just going to give to God out of my time and our finances as much as I could.

I must admit it wasn’t an easy decision, it was a little scary to not only quit my job but to not even attempt to look for a new one, I even felt irresponsible at times. I have been busy don’t get me wrong, most of my time is spent helping at Urban in whatever capacity I can help, but it was hard not to feel like an irresponsible nut job when you are 27 and you decide not to work so you can give your time to your church.

Well, as I was reading the Bible scriptures for today I realized that not only am I a nut job, but God wants me and you and everybody else to be one. Ecclesiastes 11:1 says “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.”

That expression “cast your bread upon the waters” was a proverb in Israel for what looked like being wasteful with what you had. Something like “he’s not good with his money he throws his dollars in the ocean.” I mean nobody in their right mind would throw good bread into the ocean, but in Ecclesiastes 11 Solomon is asking us to do exactly that; give extravagantly, generously, widely; give in such a way that people will think we are crazy, we’ve lost it.

Now don’t get me wrong, this is not an invitation to simply be reckless with our giving; instead it is a prompting to take a chance where real need is evident. It is a challenge to step out in faith and give beyond our comfort zone, give as we were called to give in Matthew 10:8, freely!

Just in case the first part of the verse wasn’t fun enough, there is the second part with a reminder that God sees it all, and He is not fooled, He gives to those who give. When we give the way Ecclesiastes 1 is inviting us to give, we are sowing seeds, and the fruit of those seeds it’s on its way back to us. When we give extravagantly, and even though that is not our motivation, we receive extravagantly.

Today I invite you to throw your bread in the water, what is God asking you to give more of? Maybe it is money, or time, or love, or support, or all of them. Whatever it is I encourage you to start today, you will find that being a nut job is not only incredibly fun and exciting, but it is also right.

Tomorrows Bible Reading - Numbers 3, Psalm 37, Song of Solomon 1, Hebrews 1

Much Love,
Jo Luehmann