Israel Gave God First Fruits, Not Leftovers
Daily Scripture
Deuteronomy 26:1-2, 5-12
1 Once you have entered the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and are settled there, 2 take some of the early produce of the fertile ground that you have harvested from the land the LORD your God is giving you, and put it in a basket….
5 Then you should solemnly state before the LORD your God:
“My father was a starving Aramean. He went down to Egypt, living as an immigrant there with few family members, but that is where he became a great nation, mighty and numerous. 6 The Egyptians treated us terribly, oppressing us and forcing hard labor on us. 7 So we cried out for help to the LORD, our ancestors’ God. The LORD heard our call. God saw our misery, our trouble, and our oppression. 8 The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, with awesome power, and with signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land—a land full of milk and honey. 10 So now I am bringing the early produce of the fertile ground that you, LORD, have given me.”
Set the produce before the LORD your God, bowing down before the LORD your God. 11 Then celebrate all the good things the LORD your God has done for you and your family—each one of you along with the Levites and the immigrants who are among you.
12 When you have finished paying the entire tenth part of your produce on the third year—that is the year for paying the tenth-part—you will give it to the Levites, the immigrants, the orphans, and the widows so they can eat in your cities until they are full.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
DID YOU KNOW?
On the last two Sundays, many Resurrection members turned in 2026 Ministry Fund Commitment forms at worship. But if illness, travel or other factors kept you from being able to be in worship in person, remember you can make your 2026 Ministry Fund Commitment online by clicking here. Like Israel’s first fruits offering, expressing gratitude for God’s generosity deepens your walk with God.
As Israel moved from wilderness wanderers to a settled nation, they recorded a giving ritual that said God was the ultimate source of all they had. They brought the first portion of each harvest to God and recited words that evoked their humble ancestry. The point was clear: their giving honored God—not their ancestors or themselves—as the creator and deliverer who made all good things possible. Note: they were to share the harvest bounty with “the Levites, the immigrants, the orphans, and the widows.”
- Deuteronomy 26:2 instructed Israel to give God ‘some of the early produce of the fertile ground that you have harvested.’ In other words, don’t cover all other expenses first, then give only what’s left over. Most of us aren’t farmers, but how can you make it a settled practice to give God your ‘first fruits’ rather than your leftovers?
- The ritual began: “My father was a starving Aramean.” This humble confession, reaching back generations, reminded Israel that their prosperity came from God, not their own greatness. In our achievement-oriented culture, how easy is it to credit God rather than yourself, your parents, or your hard work for the good things in your life? What happens spiritually when you forget to point to God as your source?
Prayer
A daily reminder from Pastor Hamilton: Our hope is that tonight or tomorrow morning, continuing through Christmas, each of you will, either in the morning or at night, take the time to write down three things you are thankful for. You might write these in the form of a thank you letter to God, or simply write down a journal entry.
Prayer: God, thank you for the gifts and talents you have given me, and for the fruit I see them produce in my life and in our world. Teach me to always remember to point to you as the source of all good fruit in my life. Amen.
GPS Insights
Emily Stirewalt
Emily Stirewalt, who serves as Resurrection's Silverlink Pastor specializing in pastoral care of elderly adults, wrote today's Insights. She is an ordained Elder in the Missouri Annual Conference and has served since 2007. She is married to Randall, a special education teacher. They have two daughters, Elliott and Marlowe. Emily enjoys binge watching "Friends" or "Golden Girls."
I have served throughout many different contexts over my years in ministry. In all of them, I have always been struck by the faithfulness of so many during the season of generosity and stewardship that November calls us to each calendar year. From suburban churches where people would give freely to mission projects around their communities to my small, rural church during seminary that showed generosity of Spirit when they listened to a 22-year-old preach to them every Sunday (I shudder to think what those sermons included!). To you, Resurrection, who astounds me with generosity every year, in so many ways. I am proud to serve here knowing that lives are being changed because of your faithfulness every single day.
As I reflect on generosity this year, my mind wanders to a tiny congregation on a gravel road I served following a particular difficult time in my life and ministry. That little church reminded me that church could be a loving, welcoming place for all, including my spouse and three foster children we had opened our home to as well. Specifically, I think about all the farmers in that congregation who always gave a tenth of their crop profit to the church. It would usually come in at the 11th hour every year because it takes time to figure out how much your crop will yield every year and wait on banks and sales to process.
But every year, that small church would meet its budget because the farmers in the congregation would give a tenth of their crop. Faithfully. For decades. And the tenth of their yield was never up for discussion. What might be up for conversation was different programming or ministries that could be strengthened or scaled back for the coming year depending on how high the corn stalks were by the 4th of July. Talk about prayers for rain to really matter! I am so grateful for the faithfulness of those farmers and that little church. I seek to be just as faithful.
