City Life Starter

I. The Word: Proverbs 3;9-10
 9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; 10 THEN your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will be bursting with wine.

II. Reflection Questions:

1. What part should we give to God? Proverbs 3:9  

2. What does God mean by first fruits?  

3. What happens as a result of giving the first part to God? Proverbs 3:10 

Hearing this passage preached as a child, I quickly began to see how easy it can be to accept Holy scripture for selfish reasons. I grew up thinking as long as I “honor” God with the little change in my pocket, he would surly give me endless materials. Unfortunately many Christians still believe this to be true. It wasn’t until later in my walk with Papa I began to see a little of what this passage is about. First, honoring Papa requires the proper weight to your wealth. Weight labeled with righteousness, faithfulness and equitable purposes. Now as a child growing up reading this passage became so normal to me I began to skim past words never realizing three words that will later change how I viewed living my life. Those words were ” all your produce”. I didn’t know honoring God began with offering the very best of everything I had going on in my life. This means that the offering I was to give was not just money, but it can also mean my time. The giving of the ” first fruits” implies that the whole belongs to God, especially your whole self as a worshiper. Though Gods blessing in verse 10 is blessings of the covenant described in Deut. 18:1-5, the principle of the Lord filling your barns with plenty is applicable to our lives today. 

I learned that giving God the first fruits of all my life meant that my life was not my own anymore. No one wants to give the first, or best best of anything to anyone. But when I began allowing the word of God to penetrate my heart while giving him my time, I began to feel his presence fill the barn my spirit with and fill the vats of my soul with the plentifulness of his love and grace. I challenge you today to give the first of ALL your life to Papa, because it honors him. And in doing so He is ready to fill your barns with plenty and fill your vats bursting with wine.   
Prayer:

Papa thank you for wanting to fill us with plenty. Teach us in our everyday lives what it means to honor you by giving our first fruits of our produce. Whether it being our money, time, gifts, attitudes, or minds. In Jesus name, Amen.