“I have not eaten any of the sacred portion . . . nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God.” (Deut. 26:14)
Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 26:14-19
“We’d like you to rent our building now that our translation project is finished.” They had dedicated that space to God’s ministry, so they refused to lease it to profit-seeking businesses. It fit Mercy Ships’ needs perfectly, providing living spaces, kitchens, and offices for patients staying in the port for post-surgical care.
God was not done responding to both ministries and rewarding their faithfulness in that African country.
We were looking for a way to share the gospel with our patients; one ministry was looking for a way to disseminate the podcasts containing Scripture that they’d recorded in regional languages. Again we teamed up, and soon patients were gathered around little speakers eagerly learning about “Isa”—Jesus. Many downloaded the podcasts to their phones and enthusiastically took them back to their far villages to share the good news. The “sacred portion” was given fully to God.
Moses modeled prayer to the Israelites who were eager to cross the flooding Jordan and take possession of the Promised Land. As they brought him their tithes, they were to tell God they had not invested his share in dead purposes (like Egyptians putting food for the dead in their tombs, or like people today living for riches and status that will abandon them at the end). Even as the tithe was to be set apart, holy to God, so were they.
Give with a holy heart set on God and see what happens.
Kim Robinson is a retired teacher who enjoys working with children’s ministries at her local Wesleyan church right down the street.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
