Honour the Lord with thy substance
“Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”Proverbs 3:9-10
Reflection
Talking about money in faith is always delicate, but the Bible speaks without embarrassment. "Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase." Notice the verb: honour. Giving to the Lord is not paying a fee or meeting a cold obligation; it is acknowledging that He is worthy, that everything we have comes from Him, and that the way we handle our possessions expresses who really holds first place. Money, in the Bible, is a thermometer of the heart.
The expression "the firstfruits" is very significant. In farming, the firstfruits were the first harvest, given before enjoying the rest. This teaches an order: God comes first, not after everything that is left. Many people give God what remains at the end of the month, that is, almost nothing. Giving the first is an act of faith: one trusts that the rest, even if smaller, will be enough. Whoever offers the firstfruits declares with the wallet what they affirm with the mouth: "Lord, You are my source, not my salary".
Verse 10 brings a promise: barns filled with plenty and presses bursting with new wine. It must be read carefully. It is not a guaranteed formula for getting rich, nor a contract in which God is obliged to return more money. It is a principle about God's faithfulness, who cares for those who trust in Him and often blesses generosity in ways that are not always financial: peace, sufficient provision, joy, freedom from the slavery of money. No one who honors God sincerely comes out a loser, even if the gain is different from what was expected.
Practice this concretely: decide, before spending, what first portion you will give to God (at church, in help to someone in need or in works of love). Do it with joy and planning, not with guilt or pressure. And remember the text speaks of "substance" and "increase" in a broad sense: you can also honor God with your time, your talents and your attention. What matters is that the heart says: "You come first".
Prayer
Lord, everything I have comes from You. Teach me to honor You with my possessions and with the first part of what I receive, with joy and trust. Free me from greed and the fear of lacking. May the way I handle money show that You are my Lord and my source. Amen.
Put it into practice
This week, before spending, decide the first portion of your income you will set aside for God (church, help to someone or a work of love) and set it aside with joy. If money is tight, begin with a symbolic amount and with your time.
To reflect on
Has God been getting the "firstfruits" of your income and your time, or whatever is left at the end?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).