When God began building a nation, He wanted to make sure that no one would get left behind. All throughout the Old Testament, and especially in the first five books, God showed His care for the poor, the foreigner, and those who often fall through the cracks of society. And because God cared for the poor, He wanted His people to care for the poor and to demonstrate His love and provision to them. So, He gave very specific instructions to the Israelites as a part of His covenant with Moses so that one would suffer. Although the church is not obligated to obey God’s rules for Israel, we can and should apply the principles to our lives today!
In Leviticus, God gives lots of seemingly obscure rules to Israel to show His holiness and to show them how to be different than all the other nations. One of those ways was to purposely leave some of their fields unharvest. Leviticus 23:22 says, “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”
Just as God wanted Israel to show all the other people what God was like back then, He wants the Church to show the world what God is like today.
Following the biblical example of caring for the poor, how can we apply Leviticus 23:22 to our lives today?
- We can purposely set aside some of our resources specifically for the poor at the beginning of the month, before we have a chance to spend it on ourselves. If we wait until the need of the month, we might not have anything left to share.
- We can live below our means so that we have more to share with others.
- We can learn about poverty and take action.
- We can train our kids to think of others and to share generously.
- We can exercise self-restraint and refuse to spend everything on just ourselves.
- We can carefully distinguish from our legitimate needs and our unnecessary wants.
- We can practice moderation and keep a budget.
If you’re looking for an easy, affordable way to set aside part of your harvest for the poor, you can become a BLCDF Impact Partner and literally transform the lives of others in Uganda through our Agape Star Christian School and Arise Women in Business Projects.
Don’t keep all of your crops to yourself. Instead, live with a purpose—to share God’s love and blessings with those who have fallen through the cracks of society. The world is watching followers of Jesus like you and me to see if God really cares for the poor.
Let’s continue to achieve more together.
For God’s Love Compels Us!