Tuesday 03-22-11

Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my knowledge; For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, That they may be ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have taught you today, even you. - Proverbs 22:17-19

Just a short thought here that God was impressing upon me today as I reflected upon these verses. I see my lack of trust in the Lord in so many ways. When I don't trust God it leads to me worrying, to me trusting my own understanding, to sin of all kinds. But this is true of everyone is it not? Think with me, the first sin of Adam came because he doubted what God had said. He began to trust his own reasoning and the result: the complete and total ruin of all mankind.

So back to theses verses, I was reading/thinking/meditating/praying over them. And it struck me that verse seventeen, eighteen and verse nineteen where intricately woven. The command is given to "incline your ear [to wisdom] and apply your mind to my knowledge." In doing so it will not be a burden, rather verse 18 makes it clear that it will be pleasant (for those who are in Christ Jesus at least). Furthermore we see the reason for doing so is that we might be ready for an answer.

The result is beautiful and very helpful I think. "So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have taught you today, even you." The result of reading his word, meditating upon it and praying it into my life is a trust in the Lord. This isn't something which happens over night, but rather it is change of life. Because Romans 1 makes it clear that all people are born with sin nature and do not honor or trust God. This is process of reading His word, taking delight in His word and in Him and furthermore to trust Him is what we call sanctification. Simply put, it's becoming more like Jesus.


Father, I believe... help thou my unbelief.

Friday 03-11-11

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. - Psalms 23:1

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. - James 1:2-4

-The Lord is trustworthy and good. In Him I find all that I need. If He brings trials or temptations I can stand firm in knowing that He is perfecting in me a dependence upon Him. So that I shall say: In Him is everything I am and need, my soul desires nothing else.

He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. - Psalms 23:2

-God the Father has my best interest at heart. He is faithful and abounding in loving kindness. He provides for me, above and beyond my basic needs, His blessings are truly abounding always towards me!

He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. - Psalms 23:3

-He is my redeemer! My soul was ruined completely by sin, and there was no hope but in His Son. And He did not disappoint, because Jesus came and bought me back! God is sanctifying me (or making me more like Jesus) for His name's sake, so that His glory might be known among the nations.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.  - Psalms 23:4-5

-Even though difficult times come and will come, I have no reason to fear. If God is for me, who can be against me? In the midst of trials, I need to look to my Father, that is why He allowed me to face them. That I would more fully trust and depend upon Him, that I would forsake this world and what it has to offer. Let me instead base my joy upon what Christ has done, and who I am in Him. In that I will find eternal pleasures that I shall never be ought to exhaust!

Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. - Psalms 23:6

-Surely, God the Father has shown me eternal goodness and loving kindness in the gruesome murdering of His son, Jesus Christ. Let my heart not doubt His love and favor towards me!

Father, as I read this Psalm again I am humbled. How many times have I read this without meditating upon it? Lord, my heart has become hardened to some scripture because I have read it so often, that, I do not stop to reflect upon the words I just read. Lord what a crucial mistake, one which I am often guilty of but wish no longer to involve myself in. Lord give me a tender heart, allow your words to sink in and change me. Keep not the Holy Spirit from me, but grant Him full reign in my heart. Holy Spirit come, teach my feeble heart to trust the Father and to look no further for joy and pleasures untold than in my Redeemer... Jesus.

Friday 01-28-11

"As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth." Job 19:25

What a glorious truth expressed in/through this verse! To better understand the verse let me give a little bit of context and refresh your memory if I may. Job is replying to his "friends" who are basically condemning him. He says in reply to one of their attacks that God had "kindled His anger against [him] And considered [him] as His enemy," that his "intimate friends have forgotten [him]" and even that his "breath is offensive to [his] wife."

Let's step back a little further, remember that Job's life was completely turned upside down. He lost all of his children to a tragic accident, thieves stole livestock, others stole his other possessions and servants. By the end of it all his wife had told him to curse God and die. One can only imagine the great weight from his children's deaths, anxiety over the loss of his lively hood and property.. furthermore the betrayal of trust from his wife. I believe his situation was something we would categorize as a 'train wreck.'

That said, the beauty of this statement shines through all the more! Here Job's life is upside down, there is not much he can rely on... definitely not his friends or even wife. But Job remains hopeful of his redeemer. No his life wasn't easy, no doubt he couldn't see his way out (short of death). However his trust was not in family, possessions, status or position.. truly his trust was in God. Because of this he was able to say "As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives."


Father, my feeble heart trusts and rests in other things besides you. I do not look to you alone as I should, I do not treasure you as the treasure you are. Father I often times exchange the truth of God for a lie, and worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator. Lord I need your work in my heart, I don't have the strength or power to change my own heart. Even my desire to change is tainted by selfish and foolish ambitions. Lord you have redeemed me, you have literally bought me Father God and I am yours. Conquer my heart Abba Father, and reign as the supreme and sovereign King.

Monday 11-29-10

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

I stand before God the Father as if I had never sinned. As if the sinful nature had not been passed down from me by Adam. As if I had never lied, stolen, lusted, been prideful or deceptive. As if I had never dishonored my parents or blasphemed His name. This does not mean that God simply does not remember my sin anymore, how can a omniscient God simply forget the horrific abominations I have committed against Him? That is impossible! But rather God the Father chooses in His perfect sovereignty to look rather upon Jesus' blood poured out at Calvary rather than my insufficiency to be holy as He is holy. It is there that God the Father can pardon me, it is because of Christ's death that I have eternal life. Let me not think that my sin is "a little thing" for it took the blood of an infinitely holy, pure and righteous God to justify or redeem me. 

Now I do not think I've reached some spiritual state of holiness where I cease to sin (oh wouldn't that be nice!). Rather I am attempting to combat sin in my own life with right thinking. If I know who I am in Jesus than I have clearly drawn the battle lines with sin, because sin is in direct opposition to who I am in Christ. I cannot serve to masters, that is impossible. While I do not claim to be sinless or perfect (far from it!) I cling to the promise in 1 John 3:2 that "We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is."

Tuesday 10-19-10

"Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the house. The priests could not enter into the house of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD'S house." 2 Chronicles 7:1-2

What an awesome verse number two is. The glory of God was so heavy, so thick, so... glorious! That, the priests the men who were to minister to the Lord in His house could not even come close to His house. I honestly got excited as I read that. I serve a living God, the only living God. A God so glorious that men cannot stand before His glory. A God so passionate for His own glory that He would become a man and die to redeem mankind back to Himself. My God is so loving and slow to anger that while I was still dead in my trespasses and sins Christ died for me.

And this awesome God who's glory is so great that men could not stand near it. Has redeemed me unto Himself that for all of eternity I will explore and find joy in the glory of God. May my response be to the glory of God as the Israelites was in verse three: "All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the LORD upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the LORD, saying, "Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting." May my heart bow before the Lord, and may my tongue sing forth His grace, love and goodness.

Wednesday 9-29-10

"He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. The LORD struck the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death." 2 Kings 15:3-5

As I read this it struck me that Azariah could be so blind to his sin. In chapter 12 and 14 we see two other Kings of Judah do the same thing. They lived right before God, only they did not remove the high places. And as I pondered how either blinded he must have been, or he didn't truly care. I was convicted, how many times has and does God show me my sin and yet I continue in it. It seems to very well coincide with what I was reading in Proverbs 29 today, it says: "A man who hardens his neck after much reproof Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy." God is so merciful, it honestly boggles my mind that time and time again I sin against Him, and I right now the wrath of God is not bearing down upon me. Even more than that, Christ took the wrath of God for me, I sinned I deserved God's wrath, Jesus died and took that wrath and punishment for me! But let me not "presume" upon grace, for Romans 6:2 says that we who are dead to sin are not to continue therein any longer.

I will be the first to admit, I've been deceived by sin, by my own lusts. In fact the natural man is nothing but deceived, because his mind is set on the flesh and not God. Satan is called the deceiver of the world in Revelation 12. We are not called to complacency or conformity with this world but rather to the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2), that we might have that mind which was also in Christ Jesus (Phil 2:5). We are also called to encourage, exhort and even reprove other brothers (and sisters as the case may be) in Christ, that we would become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Heb 3:13). However if we attempt to not be deceived in our own strength and have the mind of Christ by our own doing, it will fail. We see in Jude 1:24 that it is only Jesus who can keep us from stumbling and present us spotless and without blame before the Father. And ultimately it will be worth it all because one day we "we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is." (1 John 3:2)

Sunday 9-26-10

"Thus Jehu eradicated Baal out of Israel." 2 King 10:28

"But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart" 2 Kings 10:31

As I read the store of Jehu this evening it was a tragic one. Here he did a mighty work to rid the land of Baal and the prophets of Baal and the priests of Baal, and the worshipers of Baal. He was quite cunning in the way he did so. He deceived the many followers of Baal into believing that he was the devoutest follower of Baal and he assembled many of the followers of Baal into one place. He had before hand stationed a band of solider's outside the assembly, and at the appointed time they proceeded to slay all the prophet's, priests and worshipers of Baal. They took out the alters and asheriam and destroyed them. He did a great and mighty thing in eradicating Baal out of Israel.

But, he was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, with all his heart. What a tragedy! He was used so mightily of the Lord, yet he did not truly know God. He was used of God, but did not pursue God with his all. See, it is not simply enough to rid our lives of our "Baal" or as the case may be our "Baal" could be friendships, pornography, our self-exaltation.. anything which we would allow to capture our devotion and affections. And it is not enough to simply rid our lives of such, because if we could do so without knowing Jesus than what is the point? We set ourselves up for failure if our focus is simply removing the "Baal" from our lives, and not upon knowing and treasuring Jesus. Don't get me wrong, it is crucial that the "Baal" be removed, but if our hearts affections are removed from one "Baal" and not placed fully upon Jesus than it will only be a matter of time before another "Baal" captures our hearts.

Secondly, there can be no room for "second place.'" When it comes to loving Jesus. A much more godly man than I compared it to he and his wife. He told me "If I was to tell my wife, 'Honey you're number one in my life... but I'm going to go get a girlfriend. Now you're still my first importance, but there is going to be a number two.'" He chuckled and said "Samuel, how do you think that would go over with my wife?" That example has really struck home. Because if I am to love Jesus, than there must be no room for second place. He must be my all, my everything. I must find satisfaction and joy in him alone. I must love Him with all my heart, soul and mind.. He must be my all, my everything.. there must be no room for 'second place.'

Friday 9-17-10

"Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what is good in his sight. Look, the oxen for the burnt offering, the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. "Everything, O king, Araunah gives to the king." And Araunah said to the king, "May the LORD your God accept you." However, the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing."  2 Samuel 22-24 (emphasis mine)

David had sinned, he had taken a census of the people, when God had commanded him not to. God had promised to being a severe pestilence among the nation of Israel because of it. As the pestilence swept through the land, David realized that it was his sin which was causing this great tragedy to fall among the people. David besought God that they might be delivered, God speaks through a man in Gad. Through this prophet God instructs David to erect an alter on the threshing floor where the angle of the Lord stopped the pestilence. The man who owned the threshing floor offered all he had to King David to offer to the Lord. He was ready and willing to freely give of his land, possessions and livestock for the sacrifice to the Lord.

David refuses the gift's which Araunah offered him. He told him flat out the he was not going to give God something which cost him nothing. So different than how we think, how I think.. much to often. It is a battle within myself many times to read His word, or to truly read His word. It is much to easy to read without comprehending, read without meditating, read without there be an ongoing heart change. It is so easy to do "blanket" prayers, to not be earnest and fervent in prayers. It is easy to let fellowship with other believers be upon 'surface' things, and not spiritual matters. It's easy to live a life in which all we give to God cost us nothing. 

I am convicted. I do not spend the time like I should with God in the mornings. Sure I spend 30 minutes praying than 20-30 minutes reading Proverbs before work begins. But that is nothing, how dare I say that Jesus is the most precious thing to me, when my actions portray something different? I need to spend those first waking hours with my Savior. Humbled at His feet, begging for the grace to walk in His ways. Oh God, may my life truly be a living sacrifice. May my actions bring you glory, may the words that I speak be truth and edify, may the very thoughts of my heart be pleasing in your sight. Are you giving God, that which has cost you nothing?

Saturday 9-11-10

"As the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army are pleasing in my sight; for I have not found evil in you from the day of your coming to me to this day." 1 Samuel 29:6

"But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God." 1 Samuel 30:6

Two different verses, in two different chapters. But I believe that they are very much related, let us take a look. David had a reputation, a godly reputation. It was very apparent to those who lived around and with David, that he was upright in his dealings. It was said of David that from the very day that they first met him, until this day (almost two years later) that they found no evil in him! What a tremendous testimony to the work of God!

If our families, co-workers, friends had to give an honest account of our lives. What would that account look like? Would it be said of Samuel Joel Dye that from the very day they met him, up until now no evil was found in him? When others speak of me, would they magnify the name of Jesus for the work He has done and is doing in my life? What would be the account that is give of my life?

Secondly in 1 Sam 30:6 we see David's source of strength. It lies with the Lord his God. Here David and his band of men come back to their home city, to find it ransacked and their women, children and livestock have been taken by the enemy. David's life was being threatened, for their were numerous men who were devising plans to stone him. And here we see David, rather that attempting to defend himself, rather than complaining, rather than giving in. He strengthens himself in the Lord.

The parallel I see in these passages is that David had the godly reputation he did, not because he was someone great. But rather because he strengthened himself in a great God! If I am to live a life pleasing onto the one who choose me to be His child, than I must not find strength or satisfaction in any other but the Lord my God. He alone is my strength and my shield, the very help in the present time of need.

Wednesday 8-25-10

"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15

Joshua had seen God's word come true, he had experienced first hand the crossing of the Red Sea. He had traveled with the Israelites around the backside of the desert for 40 years. He had seen God's provision in making a way through the sea, and God's power in destroying the Egyptian army. Joshua had seen God's mercy poured out as He provided the Israelites with manna, water and clothes that did not wear out. Joshua had seen God's fury when a man and his family was swallowed whole by the earth. Joshua had seen God's patience with the Israelites when the forsook Him, and made a golden calf to worship. Joshua had seen God's faithfulness, as the pillar of smoke by day, and pillar of fire by night led the Israelites for many many years. 

There was no room for doubt in Joshua's statement, he did not allow for "excuses" or "special circumstances" in which he would not follow God. Far from it, Joshua challenges the people with the commitment he had made. Just prior to this, he had reminded them of the many things God had done for them, the uncountable ways God had blessed them. Joshua then declares that he and his household were going to follow after the Lord God and none other. 

The question I am left with is: have I completely and totally without reserve decided to follow God, and make Him my Lord of all? That said, I know that without His grace, and choosing of me based upon His grace and glory and not upon anything I have done or could offer Him, such a "choosing of Him" would not be possible. Because it was He who first loved me and choose me, not the other way around. By His grace, and only based upon His grace I can stand firm that I have decided to follow my Lord God with all that I am or ever will be. I do not trust in my steadfastness to be able to accomplish this, but I instead rest firm upon His grace and power to seek and desire Him above all else.

Tuesday 8-24-10

"But you are to cling to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day." Joshua 23:8

"So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the LORD your God. "For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, know with certainty that the LORD your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you; but they will be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you." Joshua 23:11-13

There were only two options for the Israelites: cling to the Lord their God or cling to the rest of those nations. There was no middle ground, no serving of both. It was one or the other: the Lord God or gods made with hands. Likewise, Jesus said that no man can serve two masters. For he will either love the one and hate the other or cling to one and despise the other. So, knowing this... why do I attempt to reap the benefits of serving God while seeking to enjoy the temporal pleasures of sin?

I need my faith increased, I need more of His word. Here God tells the Israelites that either they cling to Him, and He will drive the nations out before them. Or if they reject Him and cling to the nations, that He would not continue to drive them out. And if they were not driven out, He also said that they would be a snare and trap to them, and a thorn to their eyes. This so closely mirrors sin, either I cling to Jesus and forsake my sin. Or I forsake Jesus and hold fast to my sin. There is no room for middle ground, it is simply one or the other. 

I am so thankful for Jesus' work on the cross. Because no longer am I reliant upon my own ability (more like inability) to keep God's commands. My relationship with God is not some list of rules I must keep in order to obtain eternal life. No I have eternal life, through Jesus Christ! But now, I am not free to sin. I have been bought with a price, I am not my own. I am neither enslaved to sin, nor do I have the right to sin, for I am dead to sin. I am alive to God through Christ's work on the cross, I am to live to Him and dead to sin. I need to diligently hold fast to obeying Joshua 23:11 "So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the LORD your God."

Monday 8-23-10

"And the LORD gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them; the LORD gave all their enemies into their hand. Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass." Joshua 21:44-45

These verse really excited me as I read them. "And no one of all their enemies stood before them; the LORD gave all their enemies into their hand." The Lord promised that He would give the Israelites the land, and that he would drive out their enemies before them. Here is the promise coming true! Why is this exciting? Well I've been reading in Romans 6 and there it says that those who are buried with Christ into death, are dead to sin. This is a promise, this is true. This is exciting because no longer am I slave to sin, I am dead to sin, I do not walk as the 'natural' or 'fleshly' man does. I now have the amazing privilege of serving the only risen and living Savior that has ever been, or will ever be. 

These verses are exciting, because God proves that His word is true. We serve a living God, a god not made with hands, a god not made of stone, wood or gold. The Lord God of heaven and earth, is a trustworthy. Therefore when I read in Galatians 5:16 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." I have peace in that fact, that as I walk with my Savior I will become more and more like Him, and begin to look nothing like this world! 

Thusday 8-19-10

Reading through Joshua this evening, several verses stuck out at me.

 "For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and they will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will You do for Your great name?" Joshua 7:9

Joshua the new leader of Israel, had much to be concerned about, here in the midst of God declaring that He will destroy the Israelites, Joshua's first concern here is undeniably God's glory. As a leader, in ministry, in marriage, in anything. My focus must remain on God's glory, my desire must be to see Him made much of through everything in my life, I must seek to make much of Him in all things! It is so easy to become preoccupied with tasks, people and such, and these are important I should be diligent in my work. But if my motivation for working or serving God, is anything short of His glory, than all that I do will not be done for His glory.

"Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day." And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones." Joshua 7:25

Here Achan had taken some items from under the ban and hidden them under his tent. God had expressly forbidden anyone to take the items, for they were to be set apart for the Lord's sanctuary. Never-the-less Achan had taken them, and because of that thirty-six Israelites died in battle against the men of Ai. God clearly revealed to Joshua that it was because of Achan's sin that the men died, and when Achan admitted to stealing those items which were to be completely  for the Lord. Joshua did not delay in rightly dealing with Achan's sin. In my own life, I need to first obey God; sin never pays in the end, and never once have I found it to be worth it. Also when God brings to my attention and convicts me of any sin I need to not delay in confessing and repenting of the sin. I need to by God's grace and power take drastic steps to remove anything that was leading to sin. Ultimately I need to walk according to the Spirit that I would not obey the lusts of the flesh.

"So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the LORD." Joshua 9:14

What folly! Granted it seemed to be the smart option, but that was without fully investigating the matter, and more importantly seeking God's face concerning the matter. They went on what they "felt" rather than what God called them to. As I walk and grow in Christ, I should not be basing my decisions of what I "feel" or "think" I need to fervently seek the Lord for counsel!

Wednesday 8-18-10

"The LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors. "You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days." Joshua 6:2-3

Real briefly, God has been teaching me about my position in regards to sin because of the Cross. Yes, I "know" that I am not enslaved to pride, lying, selfishness, lust, disrespect, rebellion, ect. I "know" that Jesus' death on the cross set me free from sin's hold. But "knowing" that, and living a life that represents that, are two totally and completely different things. It is very easy to simply have knowledge about being dead to sin. And it is another thing to live a life that is dead to sin.

Now what does this have to do with Joshua 6:2-3? As I read this evening, it seemed to have everything to do with it. Here God flat out told Joshua that He had given Jericho over to the Israelites, yet the walls were still standing. Joshua could have become discouraged and disheartened, in that Jericho was not yet conquered. Yet instead he obeyed God, and marched around the city. No doubt it was not easy at times, for sure there was opposition from both sides at times. Yet Joshua took God at His word and obeyed believing God's word to to be true.

Likewise I read Romans, and it it filled with wonderful verses which speak of being dead to sin. And how the believer is made dead to sin through Christ's death on the Cross. Sometimes I look at my life, I see that I am not perfect (far from it..) but I believe that God is faithful when in Galatians 5:16 He says that "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." God is not weak or insufficient to overcome sin, no, far from it. In fact sin and death were completely overcome on the Cross. Therefore I believe and rest firm upon the fact that as I walk according to the Spirit, as I grow in Christ and become more conformed to the image of His son. That sins draw and attraction will grow dim, and that I will not care out the desire (or lusts) or the flesh.

Friday 8-13-10

"10 'Now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which You, O LORD have given me.' And you shall set it down before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God; 11 and you and the Levite and the alien who is among you shall rejoice in all the good which the LORD your God has given you and your household." Deuteronomy 26:10-11

As I read this passage of how God wanted the Israelites to bring forth the first fruit's offering, I realized how crazy it was. Not that the amount they were to give was crazy, nor the way they were to offer it was crazy. But rather what was crazy was realizing how little they were offering! God had blessed them, just imagine how much land, and not just any land but some of the most fertile land in the world. There is no doubt that they did not lack food or crops at all. I have no doubt that they had an overabundance of crops, from wheat to grapes to corn to you name it they had it. Yet in verse ten all that they were to bring was "the first of the produce." If I remember correctly the first of the produce was supposed to be some of the best of the crop, and here God commands that part of the first produce be given as an offering. Why? Because He is worthy. That is enough of a reason, but I think it also served (and still does serve) as a reminder, a reminder of His provision, a reminder of His goodness, a reminder of our need for Him. 

As I read this I am convicted, I do not spend the time with God in the mornings that I need. Sure I get to read some of His word on the way to work, and I pray all throughout the day. But there is something about giving the first part of my day to Him, that brings out how much I need Him, that brings out His goodness, that brings out His provision. I need to spend the time in the mornings, on my knees in some focused and serious prayer. I need to dig into His word in the mornings, and have my heart set upon the things of God. I need more of Him each day and much less of me!

One last thing verse eleven, "and you and the Levite and the alien who is among you shall rejoice in all the good which the LORD your God has given you and your household." God has been good to the Israelites, He has brought them out from Egypt, He has given them a land unrivaled by any other. He has blessed them beyond belief, and He commands them to "rejoice..in the Lord." They had no reason to complain, worry or be anxious, God had provided and blessed in so many ways. Likewise I am blessed I deserved God's wrath being poured out on me for eternity, I deserved punishment and scorn. But thanks be to my Lord Jesus Christ! And God my Saviour, who spared no expense in sending His son in my place to die that I might live. I should not be complaining, or worrying, I should be trusting God and rejoicing in Him!