Giving the Firstfruits

Proverbs 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS

Giving by faith requires giving God the firstfruits of one’s increase. The Lord not only wants us to bring our gifts to Him but also wants us to give to Him first. According to Proverbs 3:9, we should honour the Lord with the firstfruits of our increase. We are not to pay all our bills only to give God the leftovers. God is to take first place each and every time. This makes giving to Him an act of faith. After all, “without faith it is impossible to please him” (Hebrews 11:6). This includes the area of giving where so many seem to struggle so much. Is God honoured when we decide to simply give Him the leftovers? Certainly not! Yet, when we give God the first of our increase, we signify to Him that we trust that He will meet the remaining needs we may have.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

(For children): Lay out ten one dollar bills (real or play money will work). How many of those bills belong to God? Count how many remain after you separate God’s portion. What happens if you want a toy that costs the whole $10? You should give to God first and learn to wait until you get some more money to buy the toy.

(For everyone): What does it mean to give God the “firstfruits of all thine increase”? What might be considered increase? Are there some areas of increase where you might not give God the increase?

(For everyone): Elijah told the widow of Zarephath to first provide for him and then to provide for her and her son. What happened when she was obedient? What can we learn from her example of firstfruits?

PRAYER THOUGHTS

Ask the Lord to help you give by faith.

Ask the Lord to show you the importance of putting Him first.

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