Every Place You Set Your Foot, Prayer Walking Series: Day 30—Provide

So, as the Lord had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following

towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance.

 Joshua 21:3

Every October is Pastor Appreciation month at our church. We send cards, take them out for coffee, have them over, give gifts, and let them know how much we appreciate them. Unless you’re a pastor, or the spouse or child of one, you may have no idea how exhausting and thankless their work can be. Most of them are up all kinds of crazy hours—praying, studying, counseling, visiting, sitting through meetings, setting up and tearing down for events, dealing with personnel issues, and you name it—caring for the flock. And that doesn’t even include preaching!

Being a pastor is not just a Sunday job; it’s a life calling. A worthy and honorable and blessed calling.

That’s why the Lord told the Israelites to make special provision for the Levites, giving them towns and pasture for their flocks. When God divided the land, all the other tribes were granted portions, except the Levites. As the priestly tribe, God was to be their portion and inheritance.

The priests’ job was spiritual leadership—teaching the people about God, and offering their sacrifices to Him. But like all of us, they still needed to eat, live somewhere, and care for their families. So God told the other 11 tribes to give them some of their land.

This served three purposes:

It gave them a place of their own where they could live and thrive.

It sprinkled them throughout the Promised Land among the other tribes.

It gave the Israelites a chance to bless their spiritual leaders out of the abundance God provided.

It’s like the 10% tithe we’re commanded to give out of our earnings. That money pays our pastors’ wages, and for heat, lights, insurance, and all the supplies and expenses of running a church.

 

for you Pastor Jeff

Some people get stingy about sharing their wealth—as if it’s optional. They pay their pastors meager salaries, provide inadequate housing, expect them to work 6-7 days a week, and be at every event. Then they criticize them when they get sick because they never get any time off. 

The law said to let oxen eat while they worked (Deuteronomy 25:4). Well fed oxen are healthier and happier than ones forced to work with no reward. In the New Testament, Paul applies this to the way we care for our spiritual leaders:

“Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.’...because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.” (1 Cor. 9:7-11).

He mentions it again in his letter to Timothy (1 Tim. 5:17-18). 

 

It’s our job to provide for our spiritual leaders out of what God has so graciously given us. Let’s be generous! If your church doesn’t have a designated time of year when you honor and bless your pastoral staff, maybe you should get it started.

Today as you prayer walk, pray for every pastor you know and their family members—for health, strength, joy in serving, and rewards for their work. Ask God how He wants you to give personally and make plans to carry it out. Our leaders need to know how much we love and appreciate their dedication to the Lord and their efforts as we claim this land in His name.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:21

#payyourpastor #tithe #prayerwalking #spiritualwarfare #claimingterritory #Joshua21