Proverbs 3:9 “honour the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce”
I think I instinctively knew soon after God saved me that I wanted to offer back to him some of what he had given me, to say thank you. It’s normal really to give all you can to the one or ones you love. The fruit of love is giving. One thing I think I have learned over the last 31 years is that you can’t outgive God. So many times Wendy and I have had our back to the wall financially and seen God’s provision.
To be honest, Wendy is the really generous one of both of us. She understands this principle of Proverbs 3:9 and is always causing me to stretch. I think I am risk-averse at times, whereas Wendy is a risk-seeker when it comes to obeying God.
Moving to Australia has been a massive financial risk for Wendy and me, and like many people, we have found ourselves adrift and making financial mistakes. But God has been so amazing, and we have managed to come from Scotland to Sydney where the median value of the property is probably four times what it is in Scotland. What seemed impossible to us, is being made possible by God. We have learned that when we trust God with our heart He does remarkable things in us, through us, and for us.
KNOWLEDGE
From verse 6 we may have a question in our minds “how do I acknowledge God in all my ways”. And here in verse 9, the writer opens up another part of the answer. There is an area of life here that we are encouraged to really carefully consider, not to rush past, or make snap decisions. There are things in our lives that we will give more weight to than others, when we buy a house when we consider a marriage proposal when we set up an investment fund, how we discipline our children and where we take our car for service are just a few examples. The writer here wants us to give weight, to be rich and abounding in our generosity towards God, that our actions would actually glorify Yahweh – the God of personal relationship.
The action in question relates to our wealth – an area that can easily take us off-course if we focus on the increase as a personal issue. Here we are encouraged to make our wealth fully a God thing. To take the main thing in your life, the thing you have focused so much time and energy on, and to give the best, the first, the celebration part, to God. Every gain you have honestly come by, we are encouraged to present the first of it, cheerfully, back to our Covenant Keeping God.
There is a heart issue at stake here – and we will see later on in Proverbs Ch 4:23 that everything revolves around the issues of the heart. What we let in and what we let out. Here we are being guided not to let wealth control our hearts, but to remember where all our wealth comes from, and to generously and carefreely bring back to the provider the first of his provision. In doing this we acknowledge God, and the most direct route to our future is unlocked as He straightens our paths.
UNDERSTANDING
Let’s pick one word from this verse to look closer at and see if that can help us gain a deeper insight into how God would love us to live?
The word “honour” comes from the Hebrew word pronounced “kabed” – which is used 114 times in the Old Testament. It means to be heavy with cheerful offerings, to bring renown. Roman culture was one of patron and client, where the patron gifted the client a gift that the client would never be able to return, and in response, the client would look for every opportunity to bring honour to the patron’s name – I really love this image.
WISDOM: what do you do with your first fruits, and what attitude do you carry around this?
STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Strategic – you see the best options clearly, having discounted the roadblocked routes, you flow in generosity. Be careful not to rush to decisions without consideration.
Allan’s Unauthorised Version – [give all your weight in honour to our covenant-keeping relational Lord, with your substance, the fruit of your labour and the principal things of life, every harvest.]
PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Please help me to be a cheerful giver, who loves to offer you the best of my time and the best of the fruit of my life. Thank you.
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Wonderful to see Ps Allan and beautiful Wendy. Thank you for posting the picture of you both.
Giving is definitely a heart issue!
Our lives, works ,time, energy, marriage , family, home, resources of all kind , committing to God first and receive with thanksgiving and grateful heart is vital part. God is faithful always to make everything beautiful in perfect way.
Giving is act of love and respect. This is our privilege to honour God!
As for me I’m still learning to be a good steward of all that is given.
This I pray!
Good morning pastor Alan, as u was saying that Wendy is a cheerful giiver, so is my wife where i have learnt so much over the years about honouring our God with our first fruits and today we continue to do so joyfuly, that you for your inspirational words pastor 🙏🏿
thank you!
There is so much joy in giving back to God. You don’t have to have lots, just honouring God with what we do have is enough for Him. Definitely a heart/trust issue and as my grandmother used to say ‘God is no mans debtor’. We will never lose when we put God first
Looking back over the years of my life, once again I remember how generous our Father has been to me. In every difficult season He has been there to love, strengthen and encourage us. In every good season He has showered us with His blessings. With love and gratitude may I always honour Him and be a cheerful giver.
Thanks 😊 First fruits – having a lemon tree has taught me a lot. When I first moved here, the lemons had been harvested from the former owner so I had to wait till the next year. Seeing that first green lemon turn yellow and then the next one was exciting. Only about a dozen lemons appeared over a long period of time. I gave a lot of them away. The next year, I had irrigation put in and now, ever since, there is always an abundant harvest- too many to contain! The branches droop from the weight from so many lemons. What’s more, my lemon tree always has another lemon constantly growing. It just doesn’t stop producing- full of yellow and green ones that are about to ripen.
This has taught me to always give generously as we serve a generous God and we are abundantly blessed.
Our relationship with money tells us a lot about our relationship with God. I am humbled by His provision to me and His generosity inspires me to give.
Honouring God is a good and right thing to do and with our wealth highlights all we have is because of Him. Generosity is to be nurtured because our God is generous as demonstrated in the lavish giving of His one and only Son, Jesus for us. Being generous is be more God like!
Beautiful picture of you and Wendy – you guys are amazing!
When we trust God with our heart He does remarkable things in us, through us, and for us. – Amen, God always makes a way and provides.
Love your strength thought!
Love your blogs, so relevant, refreshing, inspiring.
Great picture of you both.
Absolutely beautiful!
I love the thought that we are to “be heavy with cheerful offerings”. I’ve been giving the Lord my first fruits since I started receiving money gifts at Christmas as a little girl. I can honestly say that I have seen the Lord hand of protection come through for me every time I’ve need Him to. Now I delight in giving to Him as I know he will in return keep his hand of protection over me and my endeavors. What a wonderful kind loving Heavenly Father we serve!
Thank you Pastor Allan!
Thank you Pastor Allan and thank you for posting a picture of our beautiful Wendy:)
Yes, giving is a heart issue and I believe when we put God first in everything ( including giving) everything else falls in place.
Wow this is a beautiful representation of not being able to out give God! Allan what you have shared all these months with us is truly a gift to us and it never ceases to amaze me how God continues to fill you with his word and wisdom to share with us. Now you show me generosity is so much more about the heart ! Feeding God’s people the word that brings wisdom, understanding and life with reflections and study into the word is truly a gift . Bless you Allan, Wendy And your household with all God’s riches !
A beautiful photo of Wendy and pastor Allan .
“To sow into the kingdom and honour God with your first fruits”
To put God first in our finances and personal life.
To cultivate a generous and giving heart in every thing we do,is to honour God.
We receive God’s blessings with a grateful heart, in all areas of our lives
Giving back to him in our finances and our personal lives in honouring him ,giving him the best we have .
Beautiful photo. God has blessed me in so many ways. I am so grateful for His abundant unconditional love for me. Giving is more rewarding than receiving. I believe God gives to His children with a joyful heart always. When serving others whether it be at home, work or church I always try to give it my all and I always come away with great satisfaction. Thank you for today’s message Pastor Allan.
Such a beautiful pic of you & your precious Wendy Pastor Allan!
Our Father God is the greatest example of generosity there is! He freely & SO generously gave everything for us in His precious Son Jesus to redeem us & offer us eternal life. He has given us a gift we can never earn or repay!! When I ponder on this overwhelming thought my heart response is always to trust & purpose to give to Him the first fruits of my wealth in whatever season I may be in. I have experienced over many many years of faithfully giving that I can never outgive God. It is an incredible revelation & to the world it does not make sense but that is the supernatural nature of God where He says … the world of the stingy gets smaller & smaller while the world of the generous gets larger & larger… it is a great honour to give back into God’s Kingdom not because of the rewards but as a stance of respect honour & love for the Lord so His Kingdom will be resourced for His will to be done on earth!
Bye the way I can recommend a great mechanic!!!
Thankyou pastor Allan! Wow! Beautiful photo. May God continue blessing you and your household🙏
When we trust God with all hearts, He does remarkable things in us, through us and for us. He is so faithful
I love the photo of you both.
what do you do with your first fruits, and what attitude do you carry around this?
Wow great thought and so encouraging.
Thank you so much Ps Allan.
I’ve seen first hand how God provides for his children when we honour him and don’t hold on too firmly to the possessions of this world!
Beautiful pic of both of you!
I have experience when we honour God with your first fruits without hesitation how Blessings from God pour in abundantly, and the same time when you hold on to Things you have without honoring God how they despair even how hard you try!!