Pr. 3:9: “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase”
This morning I was also reading Luke 16, about the unjust steward. A steward is a person in charge of the property of affairs of another. I believe the Lord has placed us all in charge of His estate here on earth, as we are His hands and feet. That is why this proverb is so important.
When we honor the Lord with our possessions, with our firstfruits (our tithes) we are honoring and giving back to Him what is really His. The parable of the unjust steward talks about a steward accused of wasting his master’s goods. Verses 11 and 12 teach us, “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon (money), who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?”
Instead of wasting the money He entrusts to us, we give back a portion to Him in a demonstration of our understanding that He is the One who provides for all of our needs. We give evidence that our trust is not in money, but in the One who holds the world in His hands.
We are told that if we are not faithful with money, we will not be trusted with true riches. I am now reminded of Mt. 6:19-21.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
If our heart and our trust belong to the Lord, we understand that being faithful stewards of the things He has entrusted to us on this earth will store up for us treasures for eternity.
God will provide for our needs here on earth, if we are faithful with what He gives us. If we show honor to Him by demonstrating our trust in Him through tithing, then we are demonstrating that we can be trusted with true riches. What is more complimentary than that?
Let’s be faithful stewards, doing God’s work with the provisions He gives to us. He will bless and care for us here, and reward us further in heaven.
Thanks, God!
jamie
considering the word 