Give with Joy: A Devotional on Numbers 35 and God's Provision

Why Giving Matters

7-Step QT

  1. 🙏 Quiet Time
  2. 📅 June 8, 2025
  3. ✝️ Numbers 35:1-8
  4. 📖 “And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites” (v. 8).
  5. 📝 Everything we have—our time, money, and talents—is ultimately a gift from God, not something we earned on our own. God calls us to give in proportion to what we've received, not out of guilt, but with joy and gratitude. When we give generously, we’re recognizing God as our provider and supporting the people and communities He cares about.
  6. 💬 What does this passage speak to you today?
  7. 🙏 Share below, and let’s encourage one another in prayer!

7-Step QT Notes

✝️ Numbers 35:1–8 — What’s Going On?

In this passage, God tells the Israelites to set aside cities for the Levites—the tribe responsible for spiritual leadership, worship, and teaching. These cities were to come from the land each tribe received, and the amount each tribe gave was proportional to how much land they had.

“From the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few…” (v. 8)

🧠 What Does This Mean for Us Today?

Let’s break it down in a way that hits home:

🎁 1. Everything You Have Is a Gift

Your job, your income, your talents, your time—it’s easy to think, “I earned this.” But this passage reminds us that God is the ultimate source of everything we have. The Israelites didn’t just “own” their land—it was given to them by God. Same goes for us.

🤝 2. Give According to What You’ve Received

God didn’t ask everyone to give the same amount. He asked them to give in proportion to what they had. That’s fair, right? If you’ve been blessed with more—more money, more time, more influence—you’re in a position to give more.

This could mean:

  • Supporting your church or a missionary
  • Helping a friend in need
  • Volunteering your skills or time

😊 3. Give with Joy, Not Guilt

This isn’t about obligation or guilt-tripping. It’s about recognizing God as your provider and giving back with a grateful heart. When you give, you’re saying, “God, I trust You. I know You’ll keep providing.”

💬 Reflection: What’s This Saying to You?

  • Do you see your resources as something you earned—or something God entrusted to you?
  • Are you giving in proportion to what you’ve received?
  • Is your giving joyful—or reluctant?

Scriptures

📖 1 The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance of their possession as cities for them to dwell in. And you shall give to the Levites pasturelands around the cities. 3 The cities shall be theirs to dwell in, and their pasturelands shall be for their cattle and for their livestock and for all their beasts. 4 The pasturelands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around. 5 And you shall measure, outside the city, on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This shall belong to them as pastureland for their cities. 6 “The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. 7 All the cities that you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasturelands. 8 And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites” (Num 35:1-8, ESV).

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