Exodus 22:28 “Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
Growing up, I remember vividly a Precious Moments tableau of a girl and a boy with a wagon full of puppies they were giving away. The verse associated with the scene was 2 Cor 9:7, paraphrased as “God loves a cheerful giver.”
Exodus 22:29 “Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats. “You must give me the firstborn of your sons.
That idea of giving freely, cheerfully, without reservation or coercion, seems to me to be what today’s verses are about. Not holding in reserve for yourself but freely giving to God and for God. And while I can admit that I have come a long way on this front, I know that I still have a long way to go when it comes to giving freely, to not holding back.
Exodus 22:30 Do the same with your cattle and your sheep. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but give them to me on the eighth day.
Precious Savior, Thank You for the reminder of the progress I have made on this front. I am not yet who I want to be, but I am not who I once was either, and that is something I often lose sight of. Thank You for progress and perspective. Help me, Jesus. Amen.
Exodus 22:31 “You are to be my holy people. So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts; throw it to the dogs.
Have a blessed day.