[You] eat from vineyards and olive groves
that you did not plant.
—Joshua 24:13
The AARP Foundation reports that over 10 million seniors in the U.S. face hunger every day. Paying for electricity or prescription refills means staring into empty pantries and refrigerators.
The numbers nudge me to be aware of others’ needs—and caution me not to take my blessings for granted.
One day Joshua reminded the assembled tribes of Israel that the Lord had given them a land that they hadn’t worked for, cities that they hadn’t built, and food from vineyards and olive trees that they hadn’t planted (Jo 24:13).
I am a citizen of a nation that is a gift of others’ labor, a member of a church that is a gift of others’ sacrifices, and I eat the fruit of trees and plants that is a gift of others’ cultivation.
Be aware of the work and sacrifice of those
who have gifted you with a good life.