‘The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!’ (Matthew 6:22-23)
Without understanding the Hebrew context, we can easily be mystified by Jesus’ words. The Hebrew language uses ‘eye’ in many idioms that describe a person’s attitude towards others. Having ‘a good eye’ is to look out for the needs of others and be generous to the poor. Having ‘a bad eye’ is to be greedy and self-centered and blind to the needs of those around you.
Prophetic Challenge:
I believe that the Lord is challenging us at this time about what type of eye we’ve got. The war in Ukraine and subsequent hike in prices combined with the current inflation can cause us to tighten our belts. This is the natural thing to do to protect ourselves and so consciously or unconsciously, ignore the needs of others. I believe that the Lord is challenging us in our tithing and giving not to make cuts but to give even more generously. ‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be enough room to store it.’ (Malachi 3:9-10)
Questions to ponder:
- Do we want to tighten our belts or receive God’s blessing?
- Do we believe in our hearts that God provides for all our financial and emotional needs?
- How does it influence how we share with others?
I believe that God is calling us, especially at this time, to give generously and wholeheartedly and not scraps from our abundant provisions. We may not have much spare cash, but even so, we can still choose to have ‘an evil eye’ (stingy attitude) or a ‘good eye’ (generous attitude). Jesus commends a poor widow for ‘her good eye’ who ’out of her poverty put in all she had to live on’. (Luke 21:4)
Prayer of thanksgiving:
Father God, we thank you for sending us your one and only Son Jesus, that, whomsoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. We thank you that you meet all of our needs and that you are so extravagently generous. We desire to ‘have a good eye’ to look to the needs of others and not just ourselves. Help us, by the power of your Holy Spirit, to be always mindful of others. Lord show us today, and throughout this week,whose needs you are calling us to meet. Remind us of the blessing and privilege it is to be able to give.
Prayer and Action:
Lord may my prayer today lead me to action. Is there a charity or person(s) that you’re calling me to bless financially? Am I giving all of my tithe or am I choosing to withhold some of it? Am I seeking a temporary reward in this life or am I sowing seeds that will yield an eternal harvest?
Praise:
12 Jul 2022
