It seems to be almost human nature to forget about the blessings we have received throughout life when we are going through a difficult time. For some people, they even forget to be grateful and thankful when things are going well for them. To be a grateful and thankful person is something that we should always be cultivating in our hearts and personality, whether in good times or bad. This was also something that Moses wanted to remind the people of Israel as they entered into the Promised Land. He knew that he wasn’t going to be with the people much longer, and he wanted them to be a people who were always grateful and thankful to the Lord, as we read in our Scripture for this first Sunday in Lent.
As our Scripture passage opens, Moses instructed the people that after they have come into the Promised Land, settled it, built their houses, planted and harvested their first crops, they were to bring a portion of the first fruits of the harvest to the Lord as an offering. By giving an offering to the Lord, it helps us develop a grateful and thankful heart, one that acknowledges that all we have comes from Him. Giving an offering also helps to cultivate an unselfish nature, keeping us from hoarding all that we have for ourselves.
There are some who say that, though they intend to give an offering to the Lord, they want to wait a bit, until they are sure that they have enough stored up for themselves first. They want to wait until they have a sure harvest stored up in their barn, a sure enough cushion in their bank account. However, God instructed His children to bring of the first fruits, not wait until the second or third harvest. This teaches us to trust Him for future provisions. When we get our first paycheck, He wants us to give an offering from that, and not wait until a later time when we feel we are financially more stable.
Moses continued his instruction by telling the people that when they brought their offering of the first fruits, they were to remember back on how the Lord God brought their ancestors through all of their trials and difficulties, and kept His promise to give them the land they are now on. They were to recall how He brought Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through many difficulties, kept them safe, and provided for their needs. They were to remember how the Lord kept His promise to Abraham by giving him a son, and brought forth from one elderly man a great nation. God wanted the people to remember how they were slaves to the Egyptians for many generations, and then how He delivered them from bondage. They were to remember how He brought them through years in the wilderness, providing for them, and then brought them to the land they were now in.
Why was this important? Why rehearse “ancient history”? Remembering God’s provisions and care of His children is important, whether it is how He provided for us yesterday, a year ago, ten years ago, or how He provided for our great-grandparents a hundred years ago. It helps to build our faith and trust in Him. If we see how God provided for us and others in the past, we can trust that He will do so today and in the future. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His provisions of the past are an indication to us that He will do so again today and tomorrow.
It is good for us to know that what God has done for others, He will also do for us. He has no favorites (Romans 2:11). God provided for the people in the Bible, and as we look around, we see how He provides for others, as well. We can trust that He will also take care of all of our needs. Just as the Israelites needed to remember what God had done for them after they came into the land, so do we. A good faith exercise is to remember before the Lord all that He has done for us since we first came to faith in Him. Remember all of His protection, health blessings, and provisions that He has bestowed upon us.
Rejoicing in God is one way to draw closer to Him. We should always be ready to glorify Him for what He does for us!
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