Roger's Postings

Friday, February 12, 2010

Deuteronomy 26:1-11. Gifts from God. 14/2/10

(1) When you have entered the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, {2} take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name {3} and say to the priest in office at the time, "I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the land the LORD swore to our forefathers to give us." {4} The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the LORD your God. {5} Then you shall declare before the LORD your God: "My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. {6} But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, putting us to hard labour. {7} Then we cried out to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. {8} So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders. {9} He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; {10} and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, O LORD, have given me." Place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down before him. {11} And you and the Levites and the aliens among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household.

Today we are here to give thanks to God for his many gifts and blessings that he has provided for us. As we look around us, we can see that we have so much to be thankful for: we have been given so much; and by and large we are all doing very well. But the question is; are we all that appreciative of what we have: are we all that happy even though we are so richly blessed? And generally, I think we would have to say, “I think not.” We, in our present day and age have been trapped into thinking we could have a bit more – a bit better – a bit flashier – a bit easier. And on top of that, we have fallen for the idea that we have worked for what we have – we deserve what we’ve got and what we want: it is my right to have it all and more: it is me and my happiness that is paramount. With that as our thinking, we have become not all that thankful or appreciative for our many blessings; but in fact the opposite: and even though we have so much, we are unhappy because we want more; we struggle and strive because we think we have to have the extras, and our whole focus is turned in on ourselves, and it continues to be a real battle.
We need to recognise that our culture today breeds this idolatry. It’s not that we carve idols and hide them in our cupboards. The idolatry of greed is much more subtle, but just as sinister. It would have us believe that we are nobodies without the right homes, clothes, cars, or whatever. Bit by bit we have become convinced that genuine happiness can only be found in these things, rather than in the God who gives these things to us. It is time we call that what it is – a terrible lie and false worship of a false God. Clearly, it is not the truth of God, and the lie comes straight from the devil.

That, however, is not the way it was ever intended to be for us, or needs to be. Here we are reminded of the best understanding we can have, with regard to all that we have, and which enables us to have a whole different attitude toward what we have and want; and which enables us to have a truly thankful heart, and be content in life, no matter what our situation.

Now the first thing that strikes us in this passage is; that it is God who is in control of life: he is the giver of all the gifts that we receive and have. Here it is God who gives the land to the people of Israel and us today: It is he who makes it grow and produce and for the people to prosper: It is he who allows nations to rise and fall: It is he who hears the cry of the oppressed and brings down the oppressors: It is he who allowed each of us to be in the situation that we are, and enabled us to have what we have today. All of this is a gift from God. All that we have and all that we are, that is good, is from the hand of the Lord Almighty himself. And on top of that, it is he who through Jesus and his life, death and resurrection, makes us something when we are nothing: he gives us forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. So all we need to do, is trust him: look to him and believe in him: understand and acknowledge that he alone is where it is all at, and that he first and foremost is the one who is most important, and not us and our wants and desires.

It is here in this reading that we are reminded to remember this throughout our lives, and the lives of our children and grandchildren: to recognise and acknowledge that the Lord Almighty is central; he is the real essence of life, happiness and all the rest; he is in control and brings good to where it is needed; he takes care of the great and small things of life.
Yes, sure he allows difficulties to come our way from time to time. We know what happens when everything goes well for us and we get our own way: What happened to Israel when they prospered? They quickly forgot God and the things that are important. But through the troubles and hardships of life he seeks to draw us and others back closer to himself: There he reminds us that we don’t have to try to do it all on our own; or think that we know where it is all at; or that we always have to have the latest and the greatest to be somebody. He there in our troubles reminds us that, it is because of our sinfulness and selfishness that we bring much of this on ourselves, and that we don’t deserve have a thing, far less think that we have a right to it; but to remember that all the good gifts that we have are from God himself and are extended to us by his grace, despite us. And that we can then look back and trust that in our baptism God accepted us as his very own; and that he will never leave us or forsake us, and assures us of eternal life with himself.

So with our lives under his control; selfish and sinful though we are, we have nothing to fear or to complain about. When he promises to care for us more than the sparrows and lilies of the field; and that time and again we have seen through history that he has done just that, for the people of Israel, others and we ourselves, we see that there is no need for us to fret and worry. Then particularly, as we know that he has taken care of the most important aspects of our life, and that in Jesus we have the bread of life: we have with us, he who gives all that is really necessary; forgiveness of sins, life and salvation: and that with the Lord Jesus there in our lives, we can know that everything will work out for good – even if in a worldly sense it does not seem so. That being the case, we can go forward confidently and positively: we are able to find contentment and joy in every task – every moment.

However, this peace and enjoyment of life comes not just as we recognise God has all things under his control and that he is the giver of all good gifts; but also as we turn away from our selfish, self-interest and give thanks to him as the giver of all. If he is the one who is in control, surely then our first thoughts and focus will shift to him – we will remember him when we receive some good: we will give back to him the first fruits of what he has given, and not just the left-overs; and we will do it with thanks in hearts. We will share what he has given us – with God and those around us. Then we will begin to know and experience the joy and peace that we so desperately seek; and we will find the security and fulfilment that we long for.

But so often, it is here in this area that we have a problem. We are a little reluctant to give back to God what he has given us: because, ‘well, we might not have enough to buy our new house, car, or TV.’ Yes, we are willing to admit that has blessed us in the past; but we are not so good at trusting him when it comes to the future; well not to our liking anyway. So we prefer to be selfish – reasoning after all – that God has given it to us, so surely he wants us to use it and enjoy it. Thereby we deny ourselves any chance of enjoying what God has given us, no matter whether it be much or little.

However, as we give back to God, and others, out of thankfulness for what he has given us, then we will begin to see and experience the joy of being at one with God and our fellow human-beings. As we acknowledge that he is the giver of all the gifts that we have, then we will begin to experience the fulfilment that we desire from all that we have and receive. As we look past ourselves, our rights and our desires to God himself, then we start to share the joy with God that comes from helping the weak, lonely and lost, to know of the love and salvation that is ours in the Lord Jesus Christ. Then true blessing will abound throughout, and glory will go to where it belongs, and all will be well.

That being the case, let us continually keep in mind that all our good gifts are from the Lord God himself. Let us look to him and give him all the credit all the way along; thanking him for all that he has, is and will do for us; recognising his over-all rule and authority in what is happening in our lives – even when it may not always be as we would think it should be – or we would like it to be. Even there let us trust that because he is God Almighty, he knows and wants what is good. Then as we go along through life, may we regularly bring to him the first- fruits of all his goodness, and share them with him and each others; so that all may rejoice in all the good things that God has given us. For to him alone belongs all glory and praise for all of his goodness, now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish

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