Focus

As you quiet yourself for this brief time, be willing to be open to God, however that may take place.

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Read

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 (NRSV)

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. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, “Today I declare to the LORD your God that I have come into the land that the LORD swore to our ancestors to give us.” When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the LORD your God, 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, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O LORD, have given me.” You shall set it down before the LORD your God and bow down before the LORD your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house.

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Reflect

In order to appreciate our current situation, we must sometimes look to the past. In my life, I cannot fully appreciate the many blessings I have experienced without remembering the times of joy, the times of wandering, and the times of sorrow.

Whenever I think about how blessed I am today, I am reminded of the sacrifices my parents made to keep me happy, the many teachers and professors who invested in me, and the youth pastors and youth group members who taught me what love looks like in the world.

However, I am also humbled by the memory of sorrow and loss in my life. Yet when I am reminded of the hard times, I am also reminded of the grace of God, and the many human vessels of that grace, that delivered me from the darkness of my life into the happiness I now enjoy.

God commanded the Israelites to remember their past as they enjoyed the blessings of their new life in the Promised Land. By remembering their plight in Egypt and their deliverance, they were not only able to give thanks for the blessings God gave them, but they were also able to remain attentive to the plight of those who were still experiencing sorrow and loss. They Israelites were so excited to experience the Promised Land, but God made it clear that enjoying abundance also requires reflection and thanksgiving.

As we look forward to the great things God has in store for us, let us also remember to look backwards and give thanks for the joy, the sorrow, and the love of God in our lives. Then, let us celebrate together with all the bounty that the LORD our God has given to us.

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Pray

Almighty Giver of Life, we know how easy it is to forget our past sorrows and your acts of deliverance after we have experienced your blessings. Help us to remember where we have been so that we may fully understand where you intend to send us. Give us grace and peace in our sorrow and humility in our abundance. Amen.

Go with God.