Daily Devotional - Growing In Grace - Week 15 - Day 101 - 4/11/26 - "Firstfruit Offerings"

Author: Evangelist Jamie Hoffman

“Firstfruit Offerings”
Scripture: Leviticus 23: 10-11, NIV

“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath”

Devotion:
When we make an offering to God, we want to bring Him our very best. An offering can be our praise, our thanksgiving, our worship, or a sacrificial gift. No matter what the offering is, we should present it in a way that honors God. Today’s Scripture outlines the feast of first fruits. This was a commandment for the children of Israel to bring the first sheaf of their barley harvest to the priest when they entered the Promised Land. The priest then presented a wave offering of the very first sheaf to God in order to acknowledge and give thanks to Him for being the great provider.

Then, the offering was waved on the day after the Sabbath, which is traditionally understood to be the Sunday during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The first fruit offering taught the Israelites the importance of putting God first, and it allowed them to enjoy the rest of the harvest with divine approval. God doesn’t want to come second in our lives, and He doesn’t want us to seek Him only in times of need. God wants us to love Him and put Him first always. He wants us to present ourselves to Him as willing vessels ready to be filled and used by Him. What first fruit will you offer God on today?

Prayer:
Lord, I humbly submit to You. Help me bring You my best in all that I present to You. I love You and praise You always. Thank You for all that You have done in my life, and for what You will continue to do. Amen.