Deuteronomy 26:1-2 “1 Then it shall be, when you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and you possess it and live in it, 2 that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground which you bring in from your land that the Lord your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name.”
FIRST FRUITS
Everything we have belongs to God. He is the One who blesses us each day with food, drink, clothing, housing, etc. He is the Great Benefactor. But He is not just that. He also expects us to honor Him by giving back in worship.
The people were commanded to give the Lord the first fruits of the land after they entered it. They would remember Him by giving to Him. Did God need these offerings? Of course not. He is THE ALL. He can make something out of nothing. He doesn’t NEED our offerings. But He smiles when we give back to Him in recognition of all He has given us.
TEACHING MOMENT
One of my regrets is that I don’t think I taught my children to give to the Lord. I mean, we talked about it and I encouraged them to give, but I didn’t really sit down and explain the giving process to them fully. They are both adults now, and they have to decide that on their own.
Talk to your children about giving. Set up a jar in which they can deposit their offering money for the Lord. They can tithe of their allowance or from any chores they do for pay. They can tithe of any gifts they receive from friends or family. But don’t just show them how to give. Tell them why we give. That will stay with them forever.
What are your first fruits? Where are they? Does God just get your crumbs? He wants to bless you more than you know. Giving to Him expresses to Him that we KNOW from whom our blessings come.
A Moment In Time 