Matthew 17:27 “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
God’s means of provision to provide for our needs are mysterious. He used the raven, a scavenger bird, to feed a prophet and flooded the desert with quail to satisfy the cravings of the Israelites. The Lord God ordered a fish to swallow a large silver coin, which was exactly the yearly temple tax for 2 adults. The fish not only swallowed the silver coin and held it in its mouth but also trapped itself in Peter’s hook. If it already had a large coin that it could not swallow down the throat then, for the fish to nibble on the bait and get caught in the hook is a mystery in itself. However, when the Lord commands, even the fish of the sea and the birds of the air will respond in obedience.
The Pharisees accused Jesus and Peter for being behind with their temple taxes. Every male above the age of 20 years old had to pay ½ a silver coin every year. The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives (Exodus 30:15). The provision for the tax was in the mouth of a fish.
When Israel was in slavery in Egypt, they worked for nothing. They had no wages, no employment contract, no AL or SL. They worked 24/7 non-stop for 365 days for nothing! However, when they left Egypt after 430 years, the Lord repaid their hard labour in one payment with arrears and interest. The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians (Exodus 12:36). There was death in every Egyptian family. The Egyptians had just lost their firstborns and were mourning for their sons/daughters. Yet, God made the grieving throng give away their treasures to the Hebrew slaves.
God moves in mysterious ways and provides in ways that our mind will not be able to comprehend.
The Mysteries of God:
1. Incentive: People might not recognize our good work but our efforts have not missed God’s eyes. Our Incentive will come from Him. Don’t look to a man for incentives; lift up your eyes to the Lord.
2. Increment: Year after year your increment might have been deferred, but God will even cause the enemy to favorably dispose to His children.
3. Increase: Increase is our portion. “So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:7).
The Lord provides in mysterious ways. Trust Him for your incentives, increments and increases.
Psalm 115:14 “May the Lord give you increase more and more, you and your children”.
Prayer: Jesus you are my source and my providence. I will not look to my boss or my employer but to you for my increase and increments. Amen.
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