“then to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord. And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male servants and your female servants, and the Levite that is within your towns, since he has no portion or inheritance with you. Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you see, but at the place that the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I am commanding you.” Deuteronomy 12:11-14
Summertime is a time when schedules go out the window. We think of the beach, or the mountains, or anyplace other than home, school, work and routine. We want the pleasure of taking time off, resting, relaxing and splashing with joy in cool water with those we love. Interestingly, that is almost the description God gives the Israelites as he proposes worship to them. A time out, a time for joy, a time to be shared with all those they love.
God’s chosen people have been liberated from Egypt and have come through the desert. They are about to enter the Promised Land, a recently freed people who do not yet know how to walk as a nation. God gives them commands to enable them to survive and grow and become strong. He offers them the chance to follow Him, to reside in His presence and receive the blessings He wants to give them.
“Rejoice, as you worship me,” God declares, “bring all your family and friends and servants and acquaintances. Let them all be aware that I am the root of your blessing. I will provide for you, I will protect you, I will be your peace.”
It was a beautiful proclamation, really. A promise to keep and comfort, to have and to hold, as it were, with God being a husband, a good shepherd, a complete protector and guide. It only required one thing, relinquishment of control.
In Deuteronomy God describes great times of celebration and joy, blessing and bounty. All they had to do was obey. “Bring an offering and rejoice,” God instructed, “go to the place I choose, bring a gift in proportion to the way I have blessed you.” They were not earning grace or joy, merely acting in obedience to the one who had chosen them.
If you have read much of the Bible at all you know they couldn’t do it. Instead of exuberant joyful expressions of thanksgiving the Israelites turned God’s celebrations and festivals into rigid, rule following ways to rob the people of their resources. Offerings became grudging, freewill turned into duty and a sense of injustice. Bribes and man-made duties turned rejoicing into mourning and a cry for deliverance from a new kind of bondage.
As we enter August and beach days wind down, do you find yourself duty-bound in your faith, or free to worship joyfully? Is your worship a glad, free-will offering to the God who sustains you every day, or do you struggle to find joy and freedom in the structure of walking obediently with God through every season?
One of my grandchildren exchanged a bathing suit for a school uniform this week. She lives in the south and the powers that be have stolen summer from school children, insisting they will be better prepared for life if they go to school almost year round. You can tell how I feel about it, but my granddaughter is thrilled! Her excitement and joy are palpable. She loves her new teacher, can’t wait to meet new friends, and begin learning.
That type of joy is what God offers those who trust Him and follow his commands. If we could lean into obedience the way my granddaughter has embraced school, with unbridled joy, our worship and lives would exude a freedom and excitement that would be contagious! An epidemic of joyous devotion to God, who loves and cares for us.
This week, as you go about your regularly scheduled programming, try thanking God for each mundane occurrence. Remind yourself that He loves you, that He sustains you, that He has brought you to the place you are right now, for a purpose. Lean into it and allow that spark of joy to ignite your life.
And if you want to add a sweet taste of joy to your life this week, try making a Kentucky Butter Cake. This recipe is from one of my best friends and often accompanies the celebration of a birthday. This cake is an original ‘poke’ cake, utilizing the technique of piercing the baked cake with a fork before drizzling the butter sauce to ensure that the sauce permeates the entire cake. What a great illustration for allowing the joy of the Lord to inhabit every corner of our lives.
Kentucky Butter Cake
- 1 cup softened butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups Gold Medal Flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer. Add eggs one at a time, blending well after each egg. Whisk dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture a portion at a time, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. When batter is smooth, pour into a well-greased tube pan. I always place my tube pan on a baking sheet for baking.
Combine 1 tbsp of vinegar with the milk to make buttermilk if you do not want to purchase buttermilk. Add vanilla to buttermilk.
Bake at 325* for 60-65 minutes.
While baking, make butter sauce.
Butter Sauce
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
In a saucepan over medium heat, heat until butter melts and sauce is boiling around the edges of the saucepan. Add 1 Tbsp of vanilla. Keep warm until ready to pour over cake.
Remove from oven. Run a spatula around the edges and stem of the pan. Prick entire cake with a long fork, carefully without disrupting the crust too much. Pour hot butter sauce over entire cake. Allow cake to cool completely before removing from pan.
Invert pan on to an intermediary plate. You will see the bottom of the cake. If it does not come out perfectly cleanly do not worry! You will put your serving plate on this and flip it back over so the top is truly the top! sprinkle with confectionary sugar and serve.
