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Deuteronomy 20:5
The officers shall say to the army: "Has anyone
built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him
go home, or he may die in battle and someone
else may dedicate it."
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January 3
Enjoying New Things
Among all of the strange rules that we find in
the Bible, one of the strangest concerns who can
and should serve in the army. Here we find
instructions to dedicate a house before going to
war. Elsewhere we find instruction that a
man who has recently married is to be excused
from military service for a year so that he may
spend time with his new wife.
God wants us to enjoy new things. We are
told not to covet and we should not be greedy
with our possessions. Everything that we
have is a gift from God and we should view it as
such. This is why tithing was instituted -
to remind us that everything is from God when we
give back a portion of it.
But what God has given us should be used to its
fullest. Christians should be joyful.
Christians should enjoy life because of what God
gives us.
Like many things in life, we need to find a
balance between being materialistic and not
enjoying what God has given us. It is just
as much of a sin to not use and enjoy the gifts
of God as it is to covet someone else's gifts. |
