As an 8-10 year old, I had local neighbours about my age and we used to have supper with them sometimes. They have stuck in my memory because their son was taller than me and always hungry.
We used to call him ‘the dustbin man’, because he was always last to start his plateful and first to finish - like he just emptied the bin!! Maybe that's why he grew so fast!
I came across a lovely story recently1 of a family where the children used to bicker over the size of the piece of home-made pie they were given. One time their Dad smiled at their Mum, lifted up his plate to receive his portion, and said, 'Please just give me a piece as big as your heart!'. All were stunned when their Mum laughed and gave him the largest portion of all!
What are we given?
It's a part of our fallen nature that when we focus on the possessions of others, jealousy often results. Better to learn to say 'thank you' for what we have been given, because it comes from a Father whose heart is bigger than we can ever imagine! In this way, like Paul (Phil 4:11) we can learn to be content.2
Psalm 119 is a wonderful devotion on the Word of God as it follows each letter of the Hebrew alphabet in 8-verse mouthfuls. Verses 57-58 tell us: “You are my portion O Lord – I have promised to obey Your words, I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your word” (emphasis added).
The Hebrew letter for these eight verses (vv57-64) is chet, whose pictographic meaning is a fence or a separate inner room, and the verses are about God's word and His grace. They represent a fence to keep us safe within and keep our enemies out. What better portion could we have than our loving Heavenly Father?
What can we give?
The question we may ask in response is: which piece of the pie should we give to Him to express our thanks? In ancient Israel, the priests always gave God the best bit of the offering. Did you have (like I did at home) the plan ‘You cut, I'll choose!’ - to guarantee an exact 50:50 split? (or I got the bigger piece!)
I was at a meeting last year where we were given little encouragements. Mine said 'You have a generous spirit'. I thought, Hmm, I like that, but I'd like to give more.3 What does our Father want us to give? Even in a bleak mid-winter, the Christmas carol has the right answer: What I can, I give Him - give my heart.
Author: Greg Stevenson
References
1 James Banks, Daily Bread.
2 The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want (Ps 23:1).
3 Then the people rejoiced...because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord (1 Chron 29:9).