Honor 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 (Prov. 3:9, 10).
Riches, gain, earnings, are really a crystallization of ourselves, our energies, our thoughts, our heartbeats. If we really honor the Lord ourselves, we shall honor Him with our increase.
Notice, the firstfruits are His. God is to be first and last and best in everything. There is much instruction in the inscription on an old Italian tombstone:
What I gave away I saved;
What I spent I used;
What I kept I lost.
You see, giving to the Lord is but transporting our goods to a higher floor, which is the only place for safekeeping. We cannot place our gifts in the hand of God personally. Everything we give to God must be used for humanity. Christian stewardship is the practice of systematic, proportionate giving of time, abilities, material possessions, as a trust from God, to be used in His service here on earth.
Here is David Livingstone's testimony: "I will place no value on anything that I have or possess, except in relation to the kingdom of Christ. If anything that I have will advance that kingdom, it shall be given or kept, as by giving or keeping it I shall best promote the glory of Him to whom I owe all my hopes, both for time and eternity."
God gave His Son. The Son gave Himself. Let us be like those of old who "first gave their own selves to the Lord" (2 Cor. 8:5) and then honored Him with their substance in helping others who were in greater need than they themselves.
MEDITATION PRAYER: "Thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor" (Ps. 68:10).
Riches, gain, earnings, are really a crystallization of ourselves, our energies, our thoughts, our heartbeats. If we really honor the Lord ourselves, we shall honor Him with our increase.
Notice, the firstfruits are His. God is to be first and last and best in everything. There is much instruction in the inscription on an old Italian tombstone:
What I gave away I saved;
What I spent I used;
What I kept I lost.
You see, giving to the Lord is but transporting our goods to a higher floor, which is the only place for safekeeping. We cannot place our gifts in the hand of God personally. Everything we give to God must be used for humanity. Christian stewardship is the practice of systematic, proportionate giving of time, abilities, material possessions, as a trust from God, to be used in His service here on earth.
Here is David Livingstone's testimony: "I will place no value on anything that I have or possess, except in relation to the kingdom of Christ. If anything that I have will advance that kingdom, it shall be given or kept, as by giving or keeping it I shall best promote the glory of Him to whom I owe all my hopes, both for time and eternity."
God gave His Son. The Son gave Himself. Let us be like those of old who "first gave their own selves to the Lord" (2 Cor. 8:5) and then honored Him with their substance in helping others who were in greater need than they themselves.
MEDITATION PRAYER: "Thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor" (Ps. 68:10).
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