Give Your 'Fristfruits' To God

Proverbs 3:-10  -   Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;  then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

 

Solomon reminds us here how important it is to give a tithe of everything he blesses us with.  He says that we need to give God the ‘firstfruits’ of all our labors here on Earth. He reminds us that thinking of God first will result in even more blessings.

 

It’s a simple concept…to tithe a tenth of all our income….whether it be money…or crop…or livestock….then decide how we would give that to God.  My father taught me this concept.  I watched as he wrote a check to the church each Sunday…and encouraged me to place my dollar in the envelope with my name. 

 

I remember processing the concept in my own mind as I began to earn my own income…battling in my mind whether to tithe on the gross or the net income.  Most of my life I tithed on my net income…but this passage makes it clear that we are to tithe on the ‘firstfruits’….before the government of the country we live in takes their  share.

 

I am not sure when I began tithing on my gross income…but I will testify that since I began to practice this in my tithing…I have never wanted for anything.  Blessing after blessing seem to fall in my lap. I want to think that God is smiling at me…like Jesus smiled at the poor old women in Luke 21:1-4. That sweet women didn’t even stop at a 10 percent tithe…she gave every penny she had to live on for the next year!

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that my attitude toward giving is more important than the amount I give. Forgive me for the many years that my giving was calculated to just follow a rule.  Help me to continue to transform my thoughts about giving into the attitude of that sweet old lady…who gave all she had.  Show me where to pay forward the blessings you have given me to help the most people…and model the great love that will help them see the truth of your gospel.  Amen.