Remembering to Say Thank You

February 16, 2018
Opening Hymns:
Oh Love that Wilt not Let Me Go (http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh480.sht)

Scripture Reading:
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
26:1 When you have come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it,

26:2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his name.

26:3 You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, "Today I declare to the LORD your God that I have come into the land that the LORD swore to our ancestors to give us."

26:4 When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the LORD your God,

26:5 you shall make this response before the LORD your God: "A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous.

26:6 When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us,

26:7 we cried to the LORD, the God of our ancestors; the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.

26:8 The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders;

26:9 and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

26:10 So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O LORD, have given me." You shall set it down before the LORD your God and bow down before the LORD your God.

26:11 Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house.

Message:
The Israelites had a long journey behind them at this point. They had traveled the desert for 40 years, and now God’s promise has been fulfilled. They are no longer slaves in Egypt, they are no longer wanderers without a home. They have a place to call their own.

God gives them instructions on how to thank and praise Him for giving them this new land. They are to give the first of their harvest to the Lord, and they are to celebrate the bounty that the Lord had given them. The Israelites haven’t been the best at saying “thank you” to the Lord, so it makes sense that He needed to tell them how to show their gratitude.

 

Do we remember to say thank you? When we are children our parents give us rememders… but do we still need those reminders as adults? Luke 17:11-19 tells the story of 10 men who were healed and how only 1 man came back to thank Jesus for the miracle that had occurred. Sometimes it can be easier to remember to pray for what we need, but not as easy to remember to thank God for all He has given us. So as we go about our day today, let us remember to say “thank you”

Time of Prayer
Dear heavenly Father. You have made all things on earth and beyond. Thank you for the beauty that You have created. Thank you for calling us Your children. You hear our prayers, and You give us Your loving presence. Thank you for all the answered prayers and all the times that You are with us through our struggles. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Closing Hymn
Oh For a Thousand Tongues to Sing (http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh057.sht)

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.
Go in peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God