Numbers 15:17-21 – Nurture the attitude of gratitude

In the abundance of God’s provision, we do have the penchant for forgetting that He is the source of everything we have in life. People tend to take things for granted when they have plenty in life. Before long the plenty they had would lead to the development of the spirit of entitlement. Up to this point, the bread that the children of Israel ate rained down from heaven in plenty. There was nothing they needed to do to have the manna. God provided for them with daily supplies without them having to work for it. But ultimately, when they entered the promised land, the manna would stop coming down from heaven. It would be then that they were expected to till the ground to enjoy the fruit of the land. It would be then that they would forget that God had been their source.   

Moses was instructed to tell the people when they had made dough from what they had harvested from the land, the first portion of the dough must be offered to God. This was to acknowledge that it was God who had granted them the privilege to enjoy the food that they would partake. This dough would be brought as a wave offering to the Lord. That portion would then be given to the priests. This was to be carried out throughout the generations. It would be a reminder to them that though they had to put in their fair share of responsible effort, God was still the source of the bread. The wave offering would be an acknowledgment of God’s provision and that they were grateful for His provision.  

Our daily bread is a gift from God. And we must never forget that God is the source of all that we have now and all that we will potentially have. When Jesus taught us to pray that God will give us our daily bread, He was pointing us to God, our source. When He taught us to call God, Abba Father, He was telling us that God is the source and the one who sustains our lives. So let us be thankful to God. We must learn to appreciate and be grateful for what we have and not lament for what we do not have. Gratitude is what will help us to distinguish between privilege and entitlement. So in everything be sure to give thanks to God with a grateful heart!