September 6, 2020

The message of Deuteronomy is one that the church desperately needs to hear today. These final words of Moses given to the children of Israel as they prepared to enter into the Promised Land serve as a warning, an encouragement, and a charge. Through them, God exposes the idolatry of our hearts and calls us to give all of our love, worship, and devotion to Him alone in every area of our lives! Moses warns the people that when they enter the land there will be things that compete with God for their attention, their affections and their worship. We, too, have hundreds of things that compete for our hearts each and every day. In this book, God teaches us how to properly respond to the amazing grace He has given us by giving Him our undivided allegiance, our whole hearts and our whole lives. Over the next 34 days, let’s seek this ancient way together as a church!

In this chapter Moses lays before the people laws concerning the firstfruits of the land and how they are to offer their tithes. He once more calls them to recall the story of their people, how God had delivered and redeemed them from Egypt and given them the land, and to offer the firstfruits from their harvest as a joyous celebration of all He had done on their behalf! 

Verse 11 says that the people were to “rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God had given to you and your house.” Partly because of the pharisees in the New Testament, we sometimes tend to characterize or view the Old Testament Law as a solemn, sad thing which was all about empty rituals and legalism, but in passages like this we see how the Law called the people to a lifestyle of passionate worship and praise to God, worship and obedience which was done “with all your heart and with all your soul” (verse 16)!

We who are in Christ have infinitely more to celebrate and rejoice in than anyone under the Old Covenant did. Rejoice before the Lord for all the good things He has done for you today! Worship Him with all your heart and all your soul!

Deuteronomy 26

Offerings of Firstfruits and Tithes

26 “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it, 2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. 3 And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’ 4 Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God.

5 “And you shall make response before the Lord your God, ‘A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous.6 And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. 7 Then we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lordheard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. 9 And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.10 And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God. 11 And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.

12 “When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled, 13 then you shall say before the Lord your God, ‘I have removed the sacred portion out of my house, and moreover, I have given it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all your commandment that you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. 14 I have not eaten of the tithe while I was mourning, or removed any of it while I was unclean, or offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God. I have done according to all that you have commanded me. 15 Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the ground that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.’

16 “This day the Lord your God commands you to do these statutes and rules. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 You have declared today that the Lord is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his rules, and will obey his voice. 18 And the Lord has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, 19 and that he will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made, and that you shall be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.”

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Family Discussion Question:

  • How can we cultivate the habit of rejoicing in the Lord and what He has given us?

14 thoughts on “Daily Devotional-September 6th”

  1. Lord let us worship You this day with all of our hearts.❤️?? There is no one faithful like our God!

  3. Heavenly Father,

    The headwaters of a river never see the sea. Along the way, the river blesses many.

    The obstacles of life attempt to block your image. Help me to keep my eyes focused on you, Father. You son promised that ‘rivers of living water’ will flow out from me.

    Father, use my life and all I do to bless many.

    May I reflect you in all I do and say today.

    Oh Father, touch others today for there as so many that are discouraged, so many without hope, so many that are asking ‘why’. Touch them Father with your Holy Spirit. Fill their hearts with encouragement and with hope. Save their souls.

    May angels in heaven be rejoicing over lost souls that have surrendered to you.

    Enable me, Father, to go with you and to fight for one more soul.

    It is for your Son Jesus.

    Amen

  4. I thank God for His laws and statutes. I have the Holy Spirit to dwell in me, enlighten me, empower me, guide me, seal me and comfort me. But like David, I delight in His laws. Man finds security in laws, not for salvation but for his boundaries. They are our schoolmaster.

  5. Each time I see the empty cross, let me be reminded of Your suffering and Your victory, Lord Jesus.

    1. AMEN and HALLELUJA!!! Dear Lord I thank you for.all my blessings that you have given me. I worship you . You are my light when I am seeking you. I know I need you in my life every day. Without you I am nothing. In this I pray , in Jesus name. Amen

  6. Dear Heavenly Father,
    “Make me a shower of blessings today, make me a shower of blessings I pray “, as the song says. At times I get so discouraged with life and all of the hate and sadness around. Please restore in me a clean and happy spirit so I can shine my light for others to see You and bring them to You. Lead me today and everyday as we walk together through this life. Thank You for all of my many blessings. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

  7. I will listen to the voice of the Lord my God. I will do according to all that He has commanded me with all my heart and with all my soul.

  8. Good morning my heavenly father. Thank you for another beautiful day in the land of the living. Father I commit this day and all that is in it to You. I pray You cleanse and use me to the glory of your name. I pray Father you accept my sacrifice of praise today. Vs 11, I rejoice in all the good things You my Lord and God has given to me and my household. I ask for your forgiveness Lord when I have allowed the things of this world to overshadow your goodness, your great works in my/our lives. I lift this prayer to you on behalf of all your saints. I rejoice in the confidence that I have a prayer-answering Father. In Jesus name I pray with thanksgiving. Amen!

  9. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20

    ….Christ in you, the hope of glory. – Colossians 1:27

    Father God, thank you for your word & The Word, Jesus my Lord & Savior, my strength, refuge, fortress, strong tower, my all-in-all! Help me to walk in Your truth today, Amen!

  10. Thank you for choosing me Lord. Although I do not deserve you, or anything good from you, I give you my life, everything I am and all I have, in gratitude for your blessing because you are worthy and deserve nothing less than my best.

  11. How can we cultivate the habit of rejoicing in the Lord and what he has given us? I think a good start is count your many blessings, name them one by one and see what God has done. This may be a fruit of the spirit, a talent, or resources including Financial. Then ask the question how can we use it for the glory of God.? How can we can we help people.

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