What do you deserve? How much of what you have \u2013 family, goods, health, friends, ministry, influence \u2013 is yours by desert?<\/p>\n
In Deuteronomy 26, God gives instructions for an offering of the firstfruits of the initial harvest after the Israelites enter the Promised Land. In addition to the offering, they are to say these words:<\/p>\n
\u201cA wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation. . . . The Egyptians treated us harshly. . . . Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction. . . . The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. . . . He brought us into this place and gave us this land. . . . Now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O LORD, have given me\u201d (Deuteronomy 26:5-10).<\/p>\n
Moses then says, \u201cYou shall rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God has given to you\u201d (Deuteronomy 26:11).<\/p>\n
Notice the God-centeredness of this statement. The Israelites are to say, \u201cWe were not even a people, yet God chose us, guided us, and watched over us. He enabled us to multiply. He rescued and redeemed us \u2013 all we<\/em> did was cry out! All we have is the result of His grace!\u201d<\/p>\n Now, the Israelites might be tempted to say, \u201cWe had to fight battles to get here! We defeated the Amalekites, we destroyed the armies of Sihon and Og, we defeated the forces of numerous Canaanite kings. Furthermore, we worked the ground, we harvested the crops. Of course, God has given us much \u2013 but surely because of our hard work we deserve a considerable portion of what we have!\u201d<\/p>\n But that is not the biblical attitude. Paul asks the Corinthians, \u201cWhat do you have that you did not receive?\u201d (1 Corinthians 4:7). And earlier in Deuteronomy, Moses warns the Israelites against thinking they deserve what they have worked for:<\/p>\n Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My<\/em> power and the might of my<\/em> hand have gotten me this wealth.’\u00a0 You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:17-18, emphasis added).<\/p>\n \u201cIt is He who gives you the power to get . . .\u201d Complete the sentence. Put in place of \u201cwealth\u201d whatever you have that you think you deserve. Your job. Your friends. Your spouse. Your children. If you have worked for and received something worthwhile, even that is a gift of God. You did not deserve the ability to work.<\/p>\n My friends, whatever we have, whatever we are, whatever we love \u2013 all is a gift. Everything is ours by grace. We don\u2019t deserve goods. We don\u2019t deserve friends. We don\u2019t deserve abilities. We don\u2019t deserve family. We don\u2019t deserve breath.<\/p>\n Today I turn 54 years old. This lesson \u2013 that I deserve nothing, that every good in my life is a gift and is not earned \u2013 is one I have needed to learn over and over again. So often, when matters don\u2019t go exactly as I desire, the thought arises, \u201cSurely I deserve. . . .\u201d So often in times of joy I will pat myself on the back for what I have.<\/p>\n This evening there will be birthday presents to open. Last night before small group, there was a delicious birthday dinner complete with a 54-candle birthday cake. At moments like this, it\u2019s relatively easy to say, \u201cI don\u2019t deserve these presents. I don\u2019t deserve this party. I don\u2019t deserve this 54-candle birthday cake.\u201d<\/p>\n But, Lord God, help me to look at all else and say, \u201cEverything<\/em> good in my life is a gift from the Father. Whatever is good in my character, whatever I have received in pay, whatever joy in Beth or in the children or in athletics or in this loving church \u2013 all comes to me because of the mercy and lovingkindness of God the Father through Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n And may I, in this next year of my life, say with the Apostle,<\/p>\n By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me (1 Corinthians 15:10).<\/p>\n Thank you, Lord God. May I be overflowing with thankfulness for the abundance of Your undeserved grace toward me through Jesus Christ my Treasure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What do you deserve? How much of what you have \u2013 family, goods, health, friends, ministry, influence \u2013 is yours by desert? 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