First fruits

The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. –Exodus 23:19a (ESV)

Scripture has a lot to say about giving. Giving doesn’t have to be money, but material wealth is not excluded from the equation. We talk about giving of our time, talent, and treasure – it all counts – and God talks about bringing our best, the unblemished sacrifice, our first fruits. Why is this important? First, it’s worship. The Creator of the universe deserves our best, right off the top. Second, it’s gratitude. It is right to acknowledge that all we have actually belongs to Him. Third, it’s trust. The Provider of every good and perfect gift can certainly make provision for every future need.

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need…. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. –Malachi 3:10, 12 (ESV)

I met a lady named Andi this week. Andi called the business line of the listener-supported Christian radio station where I work. She was distraught, facing a financial crisis. She felt forsaken by God and was entertaining self-destructive thoughts, fearful of the future. That story is for another time – it isn’t done, but it’s trending positive. I shared it with my foxhole and got a question I had not considered: Have Andi and her husband been faithful with their tithing to the Lord?

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. –Proverbs 3:9-10 (ESV)

I met a man named Marco this week. Marco walked in the front door of the radio station, jobless after cashing his last paycheck from the pizza joint across the street that just went out of business. He pulled out a Zip-loc bag with a small stack of folded bills and peeled off a pair of twenties, which he insisted on donating to the station. He gave his testimony and asked us to pray for his wife. Then he encouraged us to always use our ministry to speak the gospel clearly and boldly. He wouldn’t take a receipt.

I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing. –2Samuel 24:24b (NIV)

Giving when times are lean is counter-intuitive. The natural inclination is to scour the budget for expenses that can be reduced or eliminated. My wife and I committed early in our marriage to be faithful in our giving to God, and we’ve done that for nearly 40 years now. Not bragging or complaining, just sharing our experience. There have been seasons when the gifts were small because the income was small. We never looked at God as a vending machine or a genie in a bottle.

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. –2Corinthians 9:7 (NKJV)

We just knew enough scripture to observe that God honors sacrificial gifts given in faith. Riding the waves of market fluctuations, I recently lamented the falling value of our retirement accounts. My wife reminded me of the financial history of our home: We’ve never accumulated vast piles of wealth, and we’ve never missed a payment or lacked for anything we needed. Often, we've had a little extra to share. God is able. God is faithful. He finishes what He starts. He does not need to receive our gift – we need to give our gift. Worship, gratitude, trust.

One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much. –Luke 16:10a (ESV)