Why I Must Declare and Rejoice Aloud
Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 26:1-11 (NASB)
1 “Then it shall be, when you enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of 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. 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 my God that I have entered the land which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’ 4 Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it before the altar of the Lord your God. 5 And you shall respond and say before the Lord your God, ‘My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt and resided there, few in number; but there he became a great, mighty, and populous nation. 6 And the Egyptians treated us badly and oppressed us, and imposed hard labor on us. 7 Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our wretched condition, our trouble, and our oppression; 8 and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, an outstretched arm, and with great terror, and with signs and wonders; 9 and He has brought us to this place, and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 And now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which You, Lord have given me.’ Then you shall set it before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God; 11 and you, the Levite, and the stranger who is among you shall rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you and your household.
SUMMARY
Moses tells the Israelites that when they enter the land of Canaan, they first need to bring to the priest some of the first of the produce they brought into the land, have him offer the produce on the altar to the Lord and worship before the Lord. Moses also instructs them to speak before the Lord their God about all that He has done for them, rescuing them from Egypt and leading them to the promised land that is flowing with milk and honey. Lastly, Moses tells the Israelites to rejoice along with the Levite and the alien over all the blessings that the Lord has given to them and their household.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
Moses not only exhorts the Israelites to give an offering to the Lord as they enter Canaan but also gives them the exact words to say as they give their offering. The first thing he tells them to say is ‘I declare this day to the Lord my God that I have entered the land which the Lord swore to our father to give us.’
My faith in the Lord is so often swayed and shaken by circumstances and personal struggles that change day to day. And I easily forget how God graciously rescued me from darkness and how He led me to where I am now. I fail to see things from the eternal perspective, so I grumble about my current circumstances though I know that it is temporary. My thoughts are often in turmoil with endless complaints and negative and ungrateful thoughts.
Today’s text reminds me that there is power in my words – that what I say out aloud represents my thoughts and mind. No matter my own emotions, which can be so fickle and fleeting, God tells me to DECLARE first not to myself or friends or family but to Him. Declaring – here I am Lord. I am entering the Promised Land today, the land that you made my inheritance. The land that you wanted me to possess and where you want me to live. Though the struggles are real and difficult in this land, I will trust and gladly enter with thanksgiving and offerings.
I think the Lord already knew that the Israelites would later have doubts and uncertainty, even though they are grateful for being in the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey. I believe that is one reason why God made the Israelites state out loud who they were, where they were and how God rescued and led them to the Canaan.
APPLICATION
During this time of seemingly never-ending uncertainty, whether from COVID or other things, I often find myself sinking into the noise of the world and my own thoughts instead of relying on God’s words. I want to train myself not only to remember the Truth but to DECLARE the Truth over my anxious thoughts, whether I feel like it or not. I want to be deeply rooted in His Word by picking one verse daily to meditate and speak aloud.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding me that our words have power when You direct them. Our own words are so weak and feeble because by ourselves we only have fears and doubts. But Your words have power and certainty because they are the Truth. Help me not to rely on my own feelings, but instead to speak aloud and trust Your words. Help me to speak confidently to myself and to others about Your love and grace. Help me to remember and to testify about how You rescued me so many times from despair or desperate situations. And thank You for being such a loving God, that no matter how much I fall into my own despair, Your Spirit always brings me the Word to rise out of it.
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