S) "30 He shall then offer one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, which are within his means. 31 He shall offer what he can afford, the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. So the priest shall make atonement before the Lord on behalf of the one to be cleansed. 32 This is the law for him in whom there is an infection of leprosy, whose means are limited for his cleansing."
Leviticus 14:30-32 (NASB)
O) Even in The Law, which was incredibly rigid and ultimately proved too burdensome to obey flawlessly, The LORD proves Himself merciful in His justice. He didn't require a certain level of payment without exception, but (in this case, as with some others) He allows some exceptions for how much a person can actually afford. The exact terms of "what he can afford," are not really defined, but I'm sure it was fairly obvious to a priest. Even if it was unknown to man, God certainly knows.
A) I grew up quite poor, so every verse where God shows compassion to the poor reminds me how God has always been for me. I get tempted into thinking I'm poor now, for one reason or another. Ultimately, in the world's economy, I'm one of the richest people on the planet, but that doesn't always make me feel better when my money gets tight. It's a comfort to know that God, who knows how He's blessed me based on my birth alone (being American), just as He had blessed His people based on their birth alone (being Israelites) - God still understands that poverty is relative. He still has compassion for my relatively poor state, just as He did for His people who couldn't afford the regular sacrifice. I'm not as poor as I could be, but God still understands the place from where I'm coming, and He chooses to have compassion for me anyway, and that is a great comfort.
P) Father, I have every faith that You will continue to provide and meet my every need. I continue to place my trust promises like Matthew 6:33, understanding that what I perceive as a need is not always what You call a need. The things which You will give me are good, even if I can't comprehend it, Yet. I trust in Your goodness and Your will, so let them be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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