Sermons on tithes and
offerings are nothing new, especially if you have been a Christian for a while.
During this time of the year, you may also hear about the “First Fruits Offering.” While you can never out-give God, it is
good to know why we give when we give.
So what is a First Fruit
Offering? It is a Biblical offering that comes from the first produce of
harvest. This offering was given to the priest. In modern times, believers are
encouraged to bring an additional offering to God’s work.
Consider these Bible
verses on First Fruit Offering:
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first
fruits of all your increase” (Proverbs
3:9).
“Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with
the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be
filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow” (Proverbs 3:9–10 NKJV).
“When you come into the land which I gave you, and
reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your
harvest to the priest” (Leviticus
23:9-10).
“For if the first fruit is holy, the lump is
also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches” (Romans 11:16 NKJV).
Clearly, this offering is
a Bible principle and encourages us to give our first income to God.
If we limit the offering
to financial giving, we are taking a shallow approach to a powerful Biblical
principle. God does not need your money
in order to recognize your love for Him. His promise to bless us does not
depend on our giving. In that case, most of us will default because we have all
missed opportunities to give. Giving to
God is not a duty or an obligation. We give because we love. You can give
without loving someone but you cannot love without giving! Before you
consider a First Fruit Offering, ask yourself why? Are you giving out of guilt,
obligation, or duty? Are you giving in order to receive? The true motivation to give should be because of our love for God. We give because we are grateful for what we
have received.
Give God your first in all
things! Jesus said, “Seek first the
Kingdom of God…” (Matthew 6:33). God
wants our hearts and not just money. Here are three ways how and where you
can give:
1. Give God the first of your time. Time is the only commodity you cannot grow, buy, or
multiply. When we honor God with the first hours of our day, we are really
saying, “Lord, I’m grateful for the time
you’ve given me. Thank you for letting me see another day! Today I’ll trade in
my time for a paycheck, love my family, and enjoy life.” I strongly
encourage you honor God in this manner. I guarantee you that the rest of your
day will be more productive as a result.
2. Give God your firstborn. We often plan and pray for our children’s education
and success. That is a good thing but did you know the Scripture says, “Dedicate to me every firstborn among the
Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs
to me” (Exodus 13:2). When was the last time you prayed and dedicated your
children to the Lord? Encourage your
children to serve and honor God. It is the best thing they can do with their
lives. Show them by being an example. More is caught than taught!
3. Make God your priority. The secret to having an abundant life filled with
God’s love, peace, and joy is to make Him your priority. God told Abraham, “Walk
[habitually] before me” (Genesis 17:1). We, too, can do this through the
daily habits of giving thanks, praise and worship, prayer, Bible reading, and
spending time with God. You can do this in your bed, on the sofa, in the
closet, while driving to work, at the gym, while out on a walk, or even while
grocery shopping. Spending time with God can take place anywhere and everywhere.
When we make God the priority, we begin to prosper in our body, mind, soul, and
finances.
Make
it your goal to have a deep, intimate relationship with God. When you decide to serve God with your
whole heart and make Him the priority, your soul will prosper and your joy will
increase. If you look to other people for answers and validation, you may
be disappointed. Everything falls into place when we live to please God. When
you mess up (and we all do!), do not feel discouraged or let it hold you back.
Confess your sins to God, make a U-turn, and keep running towards Him. God is
not keeping track of your wrongs. God
doesn’t need your possessions; He wants your heart. As we live to please God,
He promises to bless our lives and make us prosper.
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on
things that are on earth” (Colossians
3:2 ESV).
Become a Life Changer: www.buildinternational.org
Building People. Spreading
Hope.
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