Recall

Deuteronomy 4:²⁰ “Remember that the Lord rescued you from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today.”

The implications of ingathering for you and me are; number one Harvest. Number two To Invoke God’s Blessings. Number three so that We Will Always Be Grateful. The significance is, the feast of ingathering is also known as the feast of booths, or the feast of the tabernacles. Why is it called the feast of booths and tabernacles? God told the Jews to leave their beautiful houses and go out for one week and camp in the desert. They were to live in tents (or booths) with their children so that they will never forget where God brought them from. God never ever wants us to forget where He has taken us from so that we can be grateful.

God never wants us to forget. Leviticus 23:⁴³ “that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (NKJV). God was saying to them, the significance of ingathering is so you never forget where you came from, where I took you from. Now let’s bring that home a little bit. A lot of us came into the city we now occupy; we were not born there. What did you have when you first arrived in that city? Someone said to me, Pastor I came to Lagos as a youth-corper, I came with one bag. Now he owns houses in Lagos, he is done so well.

Guess what? God wants you to go back to that bus station where you first arrived in that city and say ‘Thank You, Lord. That day when I came in, this was where I arrived. See where You, Lord, have taken me from, see where you have taken me to. I am grateful.’ When you are doing this, God says go with your sons and with your daughters, let them know what Jehovah has done for you. Picture this, after the long drive, you park your SUV. Take a walk with your children to the bus station, and seat there. When your children ask, why are we sitting in this dirty place? You will say, this dirty place is where the God of heaven took your father from when he came to this city to where we are today. Even if you grew up in the city where you live, where you are today is not where you started from.

Go back to the beginning, see how far God has brought you, and gratefully sing: What have You not done for me? What have You not done for me? I cannot imagine, all You went through just for me. What have You not done for me? Where will I be without You? Where will I be without You? Where will I be without You? There’s no me without You. God did that not only to show them that they ought to be grateful and never forget where He has taken them from. God also does this to show us that no matter what we are going through now, no matter the chaos in our lives, He can release us from any state of bondage and chaos. God is making a statement that because He took you out of Egypt, He is able to deliver you from any kind of bondage.

Prayer: Father, thank You for all that You have done for me, in Jesus Name. Amen!