Deuteronomy 26:1-2
"And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God
giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein; That
thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt
thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt
bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt
put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the
LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there."
"G
times five," That’s the reason why the world was
created. The "five G’s" are this: "The Greatest Good
that God can Give is God Himself." In other words, God created the world as an
act of kindness. He wanted to give something wonderful to us, and the greatest
pleasure that any human being can experience is the pleasure of having a
relationship with God.
The bringing of
the first fruits was a spiritual practice that was deeply symbolic. It
characterized a person’s entire relationship with his or her Maker. A
farmer would plow a field and plant some seeds. Over time, he would cultivate
the plants and care for the field. Finally, after much labor and patience,
produce would emerge. After working so hard on his field, the farmer would be delighted by the first signs of success. He did it! All that hard work paid off.
He created fruit from the earth.
However, the danger in the celebrating one’s achievement in producing the first fruits is forgetting that there is only one true Creator. As Scripture warned, we might say: "And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth" (Deuteronomy 8:17). Yet, while we certainly play a role, it is God alone who creates and provides everything.
However, the danger in the celebrating one’s achievement in producing the first fruits is forgetting that there is only one true Creator. As Scripture warned, we might say: "And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth" (Deuteronomy 8:17). Yet, while we certainly play a role, it is God alone who creates and provides everything.
God
gave us the commandment of the first fruits so that we will recognize Him and
have a relationship with Him, the very purpose of creation. The true test of
our relationship is not when we are in need; rather, it is when we are most
successful. It is in our greatest moments and achievements that we must
recognize our dependence on God.
Today, we can practice this by recognizing God in all we do. We can dedicate a percentage of our earnings to charity and use our talents for God’s purposes, not because He needs our help, but because we need Him in our lives.
Today, we can practice this by recognizing God in all we do. We can dedicate a percentage of our earnings to charity and use our talents for God’s purposes, not because He needs our help, but because we need Him in our lives.
Amen!
Reading: Deut: 26:1-19
Ref: HG SB
May God Bless You
And Your Family
Minister Robert Lail Sr.
The Cross Life Ministry
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