Day 48

Leviticus 6-7 | Romans 11:1-24

I first listened to today’s Bible reading rather than reading it myself. And as I was listening to Leviticus 6:9, when God is giving instructions about the burnt offering, what I heard was:

“It shall be from the heart.”

That captured my attention. But when I sat down with my Bible in hand, I, of course, realized what it actually says:

“It shall be on the hearth.”

Yes, I had misheard it—but maybe it wasn’t an accident.

Because it made me think: How often have I given an offering that wasn’t truly from the heart?

When Giving Felt Like a Burden

I remember being a young adult, even in college, sitting down to write my tithe check. But instead of worship, my mind was filled with anxiety.

Ten percent is just too much.

Maybe I’ll shave a little off this time.

Maybe I just won’t give this month.

And more times than I’d like to admit, I’d close the checkbook without writing anything at all.

Fast forward to today. Talacey and I have been married nearly two decades, and if there’s anything we’ve learned over those years, it’s this:

God is faithful. And we can’t afford not to trust Him.

Giving isn’t about obligation. It’s about trusting the One who provides—even when we don’t know how the provision will come.

Looking Back at God’s Faithfulness

It’s that time of year when the mailbox is full of W-2s, 1099s, and charitable giving statements. Ours from church arrived the other day—a detailed list of everything we gave last year.

It was a big number. Bigger than we expected.

Talacey and I looked at each other and could only say, “Praise God.”

Not because we’d been faithful—but because He had.

We thought back over this past year. The hospital bills that should have buried us. The ambulance and helicopter costs that should have drained us. The therapy expenses that should have stretched us.

But God.

Somehow, every bill has been handled. Somehow, we’ve lacked nothing. Somehow, His provision has never failed.

Looking at that giving statement, I didn’t regret the ten percent we did give—I felt regret that we hadn’t given more. Not because God needs our money, but because we need the reminder that He is our provider.

Don’t get me wrong: God’s provision isn’t always financial. But it does always means we are held.

An Ever-Burning Fire

Leviticus 6:9 doesn’t just say the burnt offering should be on the hearth. It says:

“The fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it.”

The fire never went out. The priests were commanded to tend it continually, night and day.

And that’s what giving—said differently: worship—is supposed to look like.

Not a once-in-a-while tithe. Not a reluctant act of duty. Not a sporadic, guilt-driven gesture. But a fire that never goes out—a life lived in worship, fueled by gratitude for the faithfulness of God.

God’s Faithfulness, Not Ours

That’s the exact heart of Romans 11.

Israel had failed. Over and over. They had turned away from God, rejected Him, sinned against Him—but He had not abandoned them. Paul reminds us:

“God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.” (Romans 11:2)

And in verse 29, he gives this promise:

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

Our faithfulness wavers. His never does.

Our sacrifices fall short. His was perfect.

Our worship burns low. His mercy never dims.

A Fire That Never Fails

I once held back my offering, afraid I wouldn’t have enough. But how could I ever doubt the provision of a God who has never failed me?

In that tabernacle, fire on the altar never went out. Nor did God’s provision.

May my worship burn just as steady.

Lord, You have been so faithful. Let my giving—my worship—not be out of duty, but out of gratitude. Keep the fire burning in my heart, not just on the hearth. Amen.