In Proverbs
3:9–10 (NKJV) 9Honor the Lord
with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10So
your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new
wine.
Today’s
principle for the New Year is to Acknowledge God’s Daily Provision. Solomon’s statement in this verse is, “Honor
the Lord with your possessions.” To do
this we must remember that everything belongs to God. Since everything is His we are simply
entrusted as stewards to care for these possessions. We must not forget that it is God that gives
us the ability to work for it is “in him we live and move and have our being”
(Acts 17:28). As a steward we can Honor
the Lord with my possessions by using them to honor and glorify Him from day to
day. But the writer gets specific when
he tells us to “Honor the Lord with the firstfruits of all your increase.” In giving back the “firstfruits” we acknowledge
that God is the one that gave us the ability to earn the money that we have. It is God that sustains our life so that we
can work and provide (cf. Ex. 23:19).
The most practical way we can do this is to give God the first cut of paychecks. Although in our society the government may
take their portion out before the check is received, we can write their first
check to our local church to give back “tithes” or 10%. We are told by Christ in Mt. 22:21 to “render
to God the things that are God’s.” In
Malachi 3:8 the prophet made it clear that the “tithes and offerings” were
God’s and to hold them back would be to “rob God.”
The promise
to those who will obey and “honor God with their possessions” is abundant
blessing in their income. Yet this
cannot become our motive.
One writer clarified this passage by saying, “The word translated
‘honor’ (v. 9) literally means ‘heavy’. Such giving shows how highly you value
God or how weighty you consider him to be. Giving is also an act of gratitude
towards God who has given us all things (Deut. 8:18). Giving is an act of faith.
When you give generously, you are expressing confidence that God will meet your
needs and that you won’t regret your charity.”[1]
It is also important to give wisely. “Many religious organizations clamor
for money. Some make spectacular promises of worldly prosperity and health for
their donors. Other people who seek our charity are poor because of their
laziness and should not be helped (10:4a;
2 Thes. 3:10). When you give foolishly, you are not giving to God.”[2]
Remember, acknowledge God with your possessions by being a good steward
and giving back what is already His.
May we all be honoring God with the things
with which He has blessed us.
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