“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land I am giving you and reap its harvest, you are to bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest.” Leviticus 23:10 (CSB)
A Little Feast INTRODUCTION
I want to give a little introduction of the first three feasts in the Jewish calendar. The first feast the children of Israel celebrated is the Feast of Passover is on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan. The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th of Nisan and lasts for seven days. Then the third feast in this cluster is the Feast of Firstfruits which happened the day after the Sabbath following the Passover Feast and lasted for one day.
We ARE TO Give God Our Best
The Feast of Firstfruits was a bold act of trust. Remember, the children of Israel are living in freedom from Egypt and are now required to work for their personal needs. They remember hearing stories of their ancestors wandering through the wilderness, hungry and thirsty, and God miraculously feeding them with manna and causing water to flow from a rock. They learned about God’s provision and knew that He could sustain them through the bleakest seasons. However, learning something and living it are two different things to experience and model in your personal life.
If you’ve ever gone without food, shelter, and money, you can understand how giving away those items may test your faith. People who lived through the Great Depression knew the value of keeping everything just incase and reusing and repurposing items. They learned not to waste anything.
God Wants Us To Trust In Him
I remember not having any food in my house growing up. When I was six years old, my mom and I sat at our dining room table holding hands and she prayed, “God, we don’t have any food in our home. You are our provider, and I pray that you would provide food for my family. In Jesus’ name, amen.” A few minutes after my mom prayed, someone rang the doorbell. When we opened the door, there were bags of groceries, but no one was standing there. God answered our prayer, and he provided.
Anytime since then when I’ve gone without, I remember that moment. Yes, there are times I want to desperately hold onto God’s blessings with a tight fist because I am so scared of going through another difficult season. There have been times when God has asked me to give everything I have, and I didn’t want to do it, but I obeyed. I have seen God’s blessings supersede what little I have to give. Sometimes, it is easy to give, and sometimes it has been hard. But, I choose to trust in God.
How Do We Live Out This Feast Today?
During the Feast of Firstfruits, God’s people were commanded to bring the very first sheaf of their crop to a priest as an offering. This was an act of great faith, and it demonstrated that they believed that the God who provided in the past would provide again in the future.
Living out this feast today would call us to ask, “Should I give God my first fruit, nothing, or what is left?” Am I willing to trust God with the beginning of my day and devote myself to prayer? Am I willing to trust God with the beginning of my finances? And, am I willing to go to God first when I’m preparing for my future?
journal prompt:
What area of your life is God asking you to trust Him? Who do you go to first when you are facing a problem? Where does your time go first when you wake up in the morning? Where does your money go first? What would it look like to offer Him your “firstfruits” today?
Prayer:
Lord, I am so thankful for everything You have accomplished in my life. You have delivered me from sin, provided for me, and given me peace and hope. I don’t want to give you my leftovers, I want to give you my best. Lord, I desire to give you the Firstfruits of my day, by decisions, and my finances. I want to plant the seeds of faith today, because I know that You are the Lord of the harvest. Help me to give You the Firstfruits and the best parts of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Devotion written by Angela Overton
