Deuteronomy 26:5 (NRSV)
Read Deuteronomy 26:5 on biblegateway.com
Verse 5you shall make this response before the Lord your God: "A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous.
Devotion
As we enter into Lent, we enter into 40 days of intentional wandering and wilderness, to prepare the soil, to prepare for spring. We enter into the dry and thirsty desert, limestone and heat of sun, encounters with tempters, athirst and longing for home. Among our spiritual ancestors are the wandering Israelites, poised to enter into Canaan from the plains of Moab, hearing a reminder of God’s covenant with their ancestors and now with them and hearing that they have a part to play in the covenant: When you enter into this land, you will remember God’s ownership of the land, you will bring first fruits of the harvest with the words arami oved avi, “an Aramean astray my Ancestor,” a reminder that God brought, so we bring; God gives, so we give. In the wilderness, we are to remember, to acknowledge, to recall the covenant God made with us: the entry into new life.
Prayer
You travel with us as we wander, O God. Lead us to that place where you would have us bear fruit. Amen.