He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor . . . and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised. (Deut. 26:19)
Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 26:1-19
Each spring I anticipate the awakening of the oak trees in my neighborhood. Tulips open, daffodils dance, maple trees flower—but the stolid oaks remain bare sentinels. Then it happens. Tiny leaves unfold, perfect renditions of their mature selves, each leaf a unique creation. For me, it’s like seeing a baby greeting the world, tiny toes and fingers and button nose formed and designed with loving purpose.
I imagine God felt such anticipatory joy as he took a single wandering Aramean apart to himself to build the nation of Israel. It’s the same with each of us; we come into this world naked, weak, and small, and God invests people, talents, and experiences in us to expand us into Kingdom fruitfulness.
In Deuteronomy 26 Moses described how God had redeemed Israel out of Egypt and carried them himself into their inheritance. When Moses explained when, where, and how to give one’s firstfruits to God, he emphasized a heart-felt response to our beneficent Lord.
What wonderful things has God done in your life? What wilderness have you endured, God never forsaking you? What is he unfolding in your life right now? His thoughts and plans for us transcend what we see with our earthly eyes. He has shown us this week how we can return gifts to him in joyous gratitude for the inheritance we have been gifted in Christ.
Worship the One who invests in your life.
Kim Robinson is a retired teacher who enjoys working with children’s ministries at her local Wesleyan church right down the street.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
