Today’s Bible Reading: DEUTERONOMY 13:1-16:17
Deuteronomy 16:16-17
Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that he has given you.
People are often ungrateful. There seems to be an environment of ingratitude in culture. Many are thankless rather than thankful. There seems to be an unappreciative approach to life. Even among believers, ingratitude abounds. For all that the Lord has provided they should resound with praise and thanksgiving, yet they wallow in ingratitude. In the text the Lord sets forth an avenue to arouse gratitude among His people.
God meets our needs. It may not be in the manner that we hoped they would be met, but He meets them. The Psalmist states, “Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.” (Ps. 34:9-10). Later the Psalmists adds, “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.” (Ps 37:25). God’s care for His children is continual and consistent. He gives us “good things” that we should be grateful for. Ingratitude should never characterize Christians.
The Lord appointed three annual feasts in which the people were to assemble together. All male Israelites were required to attend. Their family typically would join them in attendance. These feasts were designated times of reunion, reflection, remembrance, renewal and reverence. They gather to worship the Lord. The Lord was the center of the celebration. The focus of the feasts was to foster praise and thanksgiving for the protection, provisions and providential care that the Lord had provided in the past and now in the present.
The Israelites were admonished to not appear before the Lord empty-handed. They were told to bring something to present before the Lord. There were two criteria mentioned about the gift they were to bring. First, they were to give as they were able. No one needed worry about the size or significance of the gift. As each person was able, they were to give. It was left to the discretion of the giver as to what they could give. Some gave a little, others a lot. Whether poor or prosperous they were to bring something. They were to give as they were able, but all who attended were to give.
Second, they were to bring an offering proportional to God’s blessings. Each person was to examine their life and evaluate the way in which the Lord had protected them and provided for them during this time. They were to bring to God a gift based on the blessings He had brought upon them. They had gotten from the Lord and now they are to give back to Him. In this gratitude was generated. One can’t reflect on God’s blessings without responding by blessing the Lord.
God is the giver of all things, whether little or much, it is by his hand. We receive the benefits of His benevolence. Our bounty is because of His blessing. Whether sparse or substantial we owe all that we have to His goodness and graciousness toward us. This should create an “attitude of gratitude”. Looking back on God’s provisions should cause us to look up in praise.
Perhaps this is why the Lord commanded them to bring something based on the blessings that they had received from Him. Their examination of His provisions toward them was expressed in their praise toward Him. Before they ever arrived at the assembly thanksgiving was aroused in them. By this they were able to “enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise” and to they would “Give thanks to him and bless his name.” (Ps 100:4). Maybe this is the way we need to prepare for gathering each Lord’s Day. We need to reflect and remember His provisions, protection and providential care of us throughout the week so we can enter His presence with praise. We need to enter church cheerful! We can’t grip and grumble when our mouths are full of gratitude, so gather with gratitude.
Today reflect on His care and compassion toward you this past week. Ask the Lord to let your heart be filled with gratitude for what he has given you and your mouth full of praise for His provisions for you. Let your attitude be gratitude
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