We’re constantly evaluating ourselves and others based on what we can see, but God sees what we cannot. 1 Samuel 16 reminds us that while people look at outward appearances, God looks at the heart…and in Jesus He never looks away.

In Malachi, God confronts His people for withholding what belongs to Him and invites them to test His faithfulness. The issue is not divine need but the real issue was if His people really did trust Him. Solomon reminds us of this truth as he calls us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and in that trust we will honor the Lord with our wealth. Do we trust God with the leftovers or with the first and full?  

We often misunderstand Christianity as a call to become better, more moral people. But Jesus’ words in Matthew 9 correct us: He came not for the righteous, but for sinners.

God commanded Israel not to harvest to the edges of their fields but to leave margin for the poor, foreigner, and the vulnerable. Generosity was built into the agricultural rhythm of the community. Trusting God means not squeezing every ounce for ourselves but creating margin so that others can flourish. How can we, as God’s people, live simply so others can simply live? Have we structured our lives with margin for mercy, or are we consuming everything right up to the edges? 

God commanded Israel not to harvest to the edges of their fields but to leave margin for the poor, foreigner, and the vulnerable. Generosity was built into the agricultural rhythm of the community. Trusting God means not squeezing every ounce for ourselves but creating margin so that others can flourish. How can we, as God’s people, live simply so others can simply live? Have we structured our lives with margin for mercy, or are we consuming everything right up to the edges? 

Sometimes the more we focus on ourselves, the more stuck we become. 2 Corinthians 2 invites us to look to Jesus, look outward, and discover the freedom of self-forgetfulness.