Proverbs 3:9-10

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

A Christian businessman, R.G. LeTourneau, grasped the concept of honoring God and giving: he gave 90% and kept 10% for himself, no matter his financial situation! He became one of America’s great industrialists. “The question” he said, “is not how much of my money I give to God, but rather how much of God’s money I keep for myself.”

So…if we give away a ton of cash, we’ll get tons more in return? No. Its critical to remember that the Book of Proverbs is filled with principles, not promises. But, it is interesting to note that this isn’t the only place in Scripture where God puts forth this notion of reaping and sowing. Perhaps He is trying to tell us something?

Additionally, we are told to honor God with our first fruits, meaning, we give Him “off the top”. Whether it’s the first fifteen minutes of your day, or the first 10% of your gross pay, God is calling us to give Him our first and our best. If we take the first and best for ourselves and leave God our leftovers, we are at least implying, if not outright declaring, that we are not sure whether the Lord can meet our needs. We have to take what we need first; otherwise, we might not be satisfied. We become the ones who will supply our own needs.

What does God do when we choose to honor Him with our wealth and first fruits? He frees us from the bondage that so easily attaches us to our money. He increases our joy as we give generously. He provides for our needs, both financially and spiritually. He helps us see and value the eternal more than the temporal. That sounds like some full barns and overflowing wine glasses to me!