Have you thought about how bringing an offering to God means acknowledging that you can’t achieve anything significant without His grace?
When the Israelites were about to enter the promised land, Moses instructed them to bring an offering. This offering was a sign of their dependence on God and His abundant grace.
“When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess and you possess it and settle in it,
You shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name (Deuteronomy 26:1-2).
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he highlighted a common theme in the Bible. We give to God because he first gave to us. We give joyfully and cheerfully because he has blessed us abundantly.
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Israel’s Story
We used to sing an old hymn, “Count Your Blessings.” We were encouraged to count and name each blessing to praise God’s work in our lives.
The Israelites did something similar when they brought their gifts to God. They remembered how He delivered them from slavery in Egypt and led them to the promised land.
Below is a part of their praise, the story they shared.
You shall make this response before the Lord your God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous.
When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.
The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm (Deuteronomy 26:5-8),
The next time you write a check, put money in the church offering plate, or do some form of sacrificial service, think of it as your response to God’s grace. All our giving is a way of responding to what God has graciously done in our lives.
On God’s Team
It’s not a perfect comparison, but stick with me for a moment. Have you ever been in a situation where people were picking teams for a sport? The last thing you wanted was to be the last person chosen.
No matter who picks us, God has already chosen us to be on His team. He did this with Israel, and Moses reminded them that being chosen by God is a great honor.
At the same time, it means striving to be the best team member possible.
Today you have obtained the Lord’s agreement: to be your God; and for you to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, and his ordinances, and to obey him.
Today the Lord has obtained your agreement: to be his treasured people, as he promised you, and to keep all his commandments;
For him to set you high above all nations that he has made, in praise and in fame and in honor; and for you to be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised” (Deuteronomy 26:17-19).
Today, let’s reflect on God’s graciousness. He has chosen us to serve in his kingdom. Think of it like being picked for God’s team. Let’s strive to be the best team members we can be.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 