Thursday, August 27, 2009

Firstfruits & "so"

Proverbs 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 this passage I am most intrigued by the word "so." I wonder exactly what Solomon is trying to teach here. On the one hand, he could be saying that our motivation for giving God our firstfruits or "tithing" should be our own blessing. It is possible that God in His wisdom leverages our natural human hungers and desires to establish in us His Holy habits. We don't have to start our pattern of giving with high and lofty ideas; we can be very human and still honor God. On the other hand, Solomon may be saying that God cannot or will not bless us until we learn to give to Him the firstfruits of our lives. Giving to the Lord may be the avenue God has chosen for our blessing. Selfishness and hording then become the roadblock to God's best for us.
Either way, giving to the Lord is the critical link between our natural human desires and God's natural desire to bless His children. When we give, we bring out God's best for our best.

God - make me more generous toward Your work. Let me give to You so that I may be blessed and so that I may display to the world around me what a life surrendered to You looks like. amen

No comments: