This post is Day 10 in a series of studies about “Gifts & Giving”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Gifts & Giving – Day 10

In thinking of gifts and giving we cannot ignore the gifts of nature, the gifts of the earth. God gave us the sun and moon to order our days, and seasons. He gave us the stars to fascinate us and make many people want to know more about them.

Deuteronomy 33:15-16

With the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills; With the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favour of Him who dwelt in the burning bush. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.

The Thought

Out of context this seems a strange reading, but it is just a part of five verses spoken by Moses about the tribe of Joseph when he; Moses, was preparing to die and blessing the Israelites clan by clan before his departure.

Many of us today have no idea what are the gifts of the mountains and hills, maybe we have lost much of the pleasure of those gifts in our modern day when we go to the supermarket for our shopping, or maybe don’t even go, because everything can be bought online and delivered today! We have not experienced the joy of finding natural herbs growing in the wild, or disturbing a bird feeding the young in its nest, of collecting berries from wild bushes or gathering sticks to make a fire.

In thinking of gifts and giving we cannot ignore the gifts of nature, the gifts of the earth. God gave us the sun and moon to order our days, and seasons. He gave us the stars to fascinate us and make many people want to know more about them.

Action

As you go about your day today notice the natural things that are around you, and thank God for them. Think about everything natural that you eat, and imagine the first seeds being planted by God thousands of years ago.

Thank God for His amazing gifts and the variety of food that is available to most in the western world.

Pray for those who have less than you do.