In this daily Bible reading is the account of God instructing Israel to celebrate three feasts to the Lord every year: The Feast of Unleavened Bread; the Feast of harvesting their first fruits; and the Feast of ingathering of their crops. The ‘Feast of Unleavened Bread ‘was to commemorate God leading Israel out of bondage in Egypt. The ‘Feast of First Fruits’ was to encourage Israel to give faithfully to God from the first of their harvest. I believe the feast of ingathering was to celebrate God’s blessings upon Israel for their obedience to God.
When we obey God and live rightly before Him, God will bless us. When we give from our ‘first fruits,’ God will give to us abundantly in return. The Bible says that God wants us to give generously and joyously. The Bible also says that ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive.’ When we witness the joy and gratitude of a person in need who receives from us, we will also be filled with joy. This joy is greater than the momentary good feeling we may have when we receive something.
Giving to others in need is an act of compassion. It is an act of obedience to God. And it is an act of Faith in God. By so doing we please God. The Bible says, “Without Faith it is impossible to please God.” When God is pleased with us, good things happen in our lives.
