When do you usually give thanks to the Lord? Here in the U.S. we have a Thanksgiving holiday in late autumn. That seems to be the only time that a number of people ever give thanks to God, if they even do it then. Some Christians give thanks before their meals, but even that is slowly fading from practice by many. And how many ever give thanks to the Lord for the other blessings they have received besides their food? Our Old Testament Scripture passage today as we begin the first full week of Lent is a reminder to give thanks to the Lord.
The Book of Deuteronomy was written by Moses shortly before the people of Israel were going to go in and claim the land that the Lord God had promised them. Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land because he struck the rock twice to obtain the water that God was providing the people, rather than speaking to the rock as he was instructed, thus showing a lack of both obedience and faith (Numbers 20:6-13). Because he would not be accompanying the people, Moses knew they would need reminders to obey and follow the Lord. Deuteronomy is a commentary on the Law that God had given, along with reminders of instructions He had already given the people.
One thing that Moses wanted to be sure that the people not forget was for them to be thankful to the Lord for His provisions and blessings. When the people took possession of the land, Moses told them to take a portion of the crops they would harvest and bring them to the Tabernacle as a thanksgiving offering to Him (vs. 1-2). This would remind the people to acknowledge that God is the source of their blessings. How often do we think that it is our own hard work that gets us our paycheck and everything that comes with that? When we look around our home at all we have, do we think that those are things that we have gotten with our own money that we earned, or do we acknowledge that those are blessings that God gave us?
When the Israelites would bring their thank offering to the Lord and give it to the priests, Moses told them to recite a brief history, from the day of Abraham, to their time in Egypt and their great deliverance, along with the provisions during the wandering in the wilderness (vs. 3-10). This was to remind them that throughout their whole history God had been faithful to them, that He had done many mighty works on their behalf, and provided for all of their needs.
This was to be a joyous time, a time where they rejoiced as they acknowledged all of the blessings that God had given them (vs. 11). And it was to be a time where the people shared their blessings with their family and their neighbors. They were to be a community that showed their gratitude and shared with generosity to others.
What about us? Do we remember to give thanks to God for all He has done for us throughout our life, and even how He has provided for our family throughout generations? As we read and reflect on this passage of Scripture, we should regularly give thanks to God for His provisions in our life. We should also give to Him the first and best of what we have, acknowledging that it is through His love, grace, and mercy we have what we do, and not through our own ability.
When we do this, we can rejoice in what the Lord has blessed us with, and we can share our blessings with others, especially those who are in need. Let us always remember that the Lord God is the ultimate Provider of all we have, and the Source of all of our blessings.
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