In the book of Deuteronomy, we read over and over again about the land God promises to God’s people. Trusting that promise, they leave the nation where they have been foreigners and have been enslaved to set out on a journey to settle in that promised land. But they complain and drift away from God and into worshiping idols, so a journey that should take them about eleven days (Deut. 1:2) takes them forty years. To provide them with direction, God gives commandments for them to follow in love and obedience to God.

After forty years in the desert, God’s people arrive at the promised land where God commands them to show gratitude for the fulfilled promise. Today gratitude can be a shallow expression; saying “thanks” will do, sending a “thank-you card” will suffice. But that is not what God wants from Israel. God instructs the people to remember the journey, to remember the darkest times, to remember God’s continuous presence with them, and to express their gratitude by offering publicly the best of what they have—the first fruits of their labor. God calls them to do this not only before those who are important in society but also before those who are less important so that all people will rejoice and share in this moment of gratitude.

This story reminds us of God’s presence with us during difficult times and during joyous times, and of how important it is to show gratitude to God by publicly acknowledging God’s unwavering love toward even the most unfaithful of us. This witness and joy can be experienced by all, those in high places and those who live at the margins of society.