“When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make His Name to dwell there. And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, ‘I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come into the land that the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.’ Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God. … And you shall rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.”
(Deuteronomy 26:1-4, 11)
Moses gave the Israelites an instruction to follow once they made it to the Promised Land; they were to take some of their first harvest, put it in a basket, and take it to the Lord’s house. Then they were to formally confess that God had kept His promise—that He had brought them safely out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, and led them safely to their new home. And then they were supposed to celebrate!
This is a great model for us to follow, too. Because we, too, have been slaves—not in Egypt, but slaves to sin. We have been prisoners under the power of evil, people without hope and without help, doomed to death. Then Jesus came to rescue us with an outstretched arm and with mighty power. He came down to us from heaven and became one of us, so that we would be His people and He would be our relative, our Redeemer. He suffered and died for us on the cross, breaking forever the power of death and evil. And He rose from the dead to share that freedom with us—every one of us who believes in Him.
So it is right for us to look around us and remember everything God has done for us. We too can come to the Lord in prayer and say: “I and all my family were in trouble, oppressed by the power of the devil. But You, O Lord, saw our suffering, and You came to us. You set us free at the price of Your own life, and You brought us safely into Your kingdom. And now I come to You to remember this and to give You thanks with my whole heart. This is what You have done for me, and I am Yours forevermore.”
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for delivering us and bringing us into the freedom and joy of Your kingdom. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on March 1, 2022
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights reserved
Reflection Questions:
1. When was the last time you said thank you to someone? For what?
2. Can you remember a time when you were not part of the family of God? If so, what was it like?
3. What is one specific area in which you have seen God setting you free from evil?