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Join a Discipleship GroupProverbs 3:9,10
Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your
barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
In the Old Testament book of Leviticus it says, “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.” This was a principle followed by the Israelites to remind them that all they had came from Him and they owed their prosperity to Him.
The word “tithe” was considered to be an amount of ten percent. Of course the money given was used by the temple to support the priests and provide them a living so that they could focus on teaching and spiritual leadership.
Our verses today describe more than just giving a portion of your produce (what is in your barns could also represent the results of any labor). But God does not really need our money, so why is He asking us to make a sacrificial effort with what is in our pockets?
What Solomon wrote in this Proverb is indicative of the theme throughout God’s Word. The Lord is after your heart. He wants you to be wholly committed to Him in thought and deed.
Money is just one area of your life but it is often a very visible way for you to sit down and make a decision as to whether He is first place in everything.
In this priority we also demonstrate to ourselves and others that He is worth honoring, that we can trust Him to take care of us with the other 90% of our income.
To obey what He is asking, you should give 10% out of each paycheck to the Lord and ministry organizations that represent Him.
So then, how do you decide what to spend the rest of your money on?
If God is to be the Lord of your life, and to take first place with your money does that mean you never spend it on nice things or a new car?
No, but you have to challenge yourself as you consider a purchase, “is this something the Lord would have me buy, something I really need? If I spent less on things I don’t need, could I give more to others who have less?”
It is that spirit of putting others first that reflects following in the footsteps of Jesus.
Ask yourself today, are you giving to God first before you spend it on your wants? Are you setting aside money each paycheck to support faithful ministries who will use it to help others and share the Gospel?
Then ask Him in prayer, “Lord, show me how can I honor you with my finances.”