Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Deuteronomy 26 before reading the devotional below.
Have you ever received a gift that was intended for sharing? Perhaps a game that requires more than one player or a tin of popcorn that opens up for the party. When God gives us gifts, he wants us to share it back with him. Why? Because that’s his nature. Imagine if you had a parent that always shared their “shareable” gifts. That kind of person loves to give because they love to experience joy with others. God is like that. And he wants you to be like that too. If we are in the habit of sharing back a portion of everything we have, we imitate our Father’s generosity.
Today’s passage ends with a promise: God will lift you up. He declared that the Jewish people would be his special people. If they simply followed the directions he gave them in this book, they would rise above all other nations. If you have read anything else in the Bible, you know that they failed to follow all of God’s commands. As a result, they went through a lot of trouble and hardship and at times were conquered by other nations.
Let’s take our previous example of generosity: when you give you have less, right? “Less” depends on what is important to you. You will have less popcorn in your tin, but you will have more love and memories in your heart. God’s way gives you less “stuff” and more eternal value. Who wouldn’t want to trade a few pieces of popcorn or a bit of money for something of much greater value? Whenever you receive something, give some back to God. Thank him for all his has done for you and for his people. And give some to others. The generous spirit you get in return will be worth infinitely more.