Speaking of...

“When you have entered [ki tavo] the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord you God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord you God will choose as a dwelling for His name….” (Deuteronomy 26:1–2)

In this passage of Scripture, God instructs Israel to bring the first-ripened fruits (bikkurim) to the Temple in Jerusalem once the Israelites had finally entered the Land He promised to them. After they had settled in the Land and cultivated it, they were to present this offering to the Levites (Deuteronomy 26:2–4).

In giving this ‘firstfruits offering,’ which included wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates, the Israelites were offering thanksgiving to God for all the amazing things He had done for them.

He had rescued them from great hardship in Egypt and from wandering in the wilderness. He had brought them into a good land that was rich and fertile to become a great nation, dwelling in comfort, safety and security.

“The Lord heard our voice, and saw our misery, toil and oppression. So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders.” (Deuteronomy 26:7–8)

Acknowledge God’s Goodness When Presenting the Tithe

“And He has brought us into this place… a land flowing with milk and honey….” (Deuteronomy 26:9)

The first fruits given to the Levites and the poor were not given in silence, but with a confession of the awesome mercy and goodness of God!

Likewise, when we present our tithes and offerings to the Lord, we also should acknowledge the many ways in which we have seen the goodness and mercy of God in the land of the living. As Israel did in ancient times, we should recall how he has healed us, delivered us, and provided for our needs. And although many of us may not know the exact place to which God is bringing us, we can rest assured that He is leading us somewhere. And if He is leading, it’s going to be a ‘good land.’ Hallelujah!

When God brings us out of a difficult place, delivering us from the horrible pit and setting our feet on the solid rock, we need to thank Him and be willing to give back materially from His incredible bounty.

“Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.” (Deuteronomy 14:22)

When we do this, we demonstrate that we know He’s the source of all our blessings.

“And now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, O Lord, have given me.” (Deuteronomy 26:10)

“Rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.” (Deuteronomy 26:11)

Once we have given our offering, there is only one thing left to do—rejoice!

All too often, the enemy seeks to steal and destroy our joy. Why does he want to do this? Because the joy of the Lord is our strength.

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

If we allow the enemy of our soul to steal our joy, we won’t have the strength to possess the good land that God is giving us.

Still, there are times when we just wake up feeling weary, discouraged or defeated. Joy seems like it’s nowhere to be found.

Maybe we have pain in our body, or maybe we lack finances. Our family relationships might be going through a rough patch. How do we recover our joy in these cases?

There is only one solution—enter in (tavo) to the presence of Adonai where there is “fullness of joy.”

“You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)

Finding Strength in the Joy of His Presence