“. . . . and bringing us into this country,
he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.
Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits
of the products of the soil  
which you, O LORD, have given me.” 

When I was four or five I remember watching VeggieTales and being both confused and excited about a land “flowing with milk and honey.” Confused because none of the rivers near me were nearly so interesting and delicious, but excited since I really liked both chocolate milk and sugar, which seemed close enough to the more plain milk and honey. However, I don’t remember paying any attention to the challenging offering which follows that description—giving the first fruits of that land back to the Lord.

This line challenges me to reflect on all that the Lord has given me, to give thanks, and to humbly offer some of those gifts back to him, whether that is time returned in prayer, giving up sweets, or whatever Lenten commitments we make. Today’s Gospel reminds me just how much God has given: His own Son Jesus was willing to endure temptation and hunger for forty days, suffer on the cross and die for our sins. In return, the least we can do is dedicate our forty days to strengthening our relationship with God and increasing our appreciation of the holy week which ends Lent and the resurrection on Easter. Giving some time or pleasure back to God is a simple way to thank and glorify He who first created us and gave us ourselves, and then, in incomprehensible love, died for us and gave us Himself.