Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human firstborn to the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord every male that first opens the womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, January 1, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Let me just say that I don’t believe God kills people. Now that that’s out of the way, I can say that this is such a powerful expression of gratitude I find it deeply moving—that God would go so far as to do whatever it takes to rescue God’s people from oppression by the powers of the world; that the people would never forget, and demonstrate their undying thankfulness by dedicating their first fruits to God. It’s a breathtaking demonstration of the mutual covenant between us and our God.
How do we practice gratitude to God today? Do we stop to acknowledge all that we have been given, all the ways that God has shown up in our lives? Do we dedicate our first fruits to God? Of course, most of us don’t have livestock to sacrifice (nor is that kind of ritual sacrifice a part of our practice anymore). Nor do we make some kind of redemptive payout upon the birth of our first sons (or, at least, I didn’t…) But there are all kinds of “fruits” that we enjoy in our lives, by God’s unearned grace. Why not use our creativity to find ways to give back what we have so generously been given in gratitude to a God who will do whatever it takes to be in our lives?
How do I show my gratitude to God in concrete ways?
