Giving Your First Fruits

Scripture Reading

Deuteronomy 26:10

10 and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him.

Devotional

We see throughout the Old and New Testament the mentioning of first fruits. The definition of first fruit is the fruit that come from the first harvest of your crop. You give this to God as a way to acknowledge that everything we have is because of him and we have the confidence that God will continue to provide. It also needs to be given with the right heart and attitude in order to be pleasing to God.

So, what exactly are our first fruits? Our first fruits, in no particular order, are:

1. Our financial offering

2. Our children

3. Our life

Now, let’s discuss each in a little more detail.

Our Financial Offering

Everything we have belongs to God and we should never forget that. Often time our first fruits are associated with tithing, giving 10% of our income, to the storehouse which is the church. Malachi 3:8-10 says:

8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

It is very clear that we should be offering our first financial fruits to the Lord. He has provided for us the in past, present, and will continue to demonstrate his providence to us in the future. By giving the first fruits of our income, we demonstrate that we are putting God first. We are saying, God thank you for giving me 100%, I want to give 10% immediately back to you because I am thankful, I want to support your storehouse for all the plans you have for it, and I am standing on your Word that you are a God who will always provide. Even more than that, God goes as far as to say he bless us abundantly. Please be clear that blessings does not equate to wealth. God will choose whatever way is best for us to be blessed.

Our Children

The second type of first fruit offering our children. Exodus 22:29 says:

29 “Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats.

“You must give me the firstborn of your sons.

See, God doesn’t just concern himself with the present generation, he cares about all future generations as well. By offering your children, it really is saying that you will raise your children and guide them along the right path – teaching them to follow and obey God. You are not responsible for what path they choose after they are old enough to make good decisions on their own, but while they are young, they require that level of guidance. This is a form of dedication to God’s kingdom. In the same way, God offered Jesus as a first fruit for us.

Our Life

The third type of first fruit offering is our life. James 1:18 says:

18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.

God has given us but a short time on Earth to serve him. If we live forever, but only maybe 100 years of that is on Earth, isn’t our life on Earth also a first fruit? In a sense when we dedicate our life to God, we are saying, “God I want to serve you during this short time I have on Earth and I am standing on your Word that I will meet you and dwell in your presence in Heaven for eternity.”

If you notice in each of these cases there is a pattern:

God gives to us, we give back to him, and he gives us something yet again.

In the case of finances, God gave us the ability to receive an income, we give 10% back to him, and he promises to pour out his blessings back to us for that obedience.

In the case of our children, God blesses us with them such that we can learn from them, but also dedicate them to God and guide them on the right path. In return, God maintains all of his promises for them and will continue to bless them. Additionally, children who continue to follow God will seek his will and will also honor you as their parent.

Lastly, God gave us life, he knitted us while we were in the womb, he sent his own son to die for all of our sins. Although there is nothing we can do to earn our way into Heaven, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and dedicate our lives to the Lord, we can be assured that we will be in Heaven for all of eternity. Dedicating your life to God doesn't mean you have to go off to be a pastor, it simply means that you want to serve and please God in each facet of your life. You’re not saying you won’t mess up. You’re saying you won’t give up. You also have the assurance that God’s got your back and has already forgiven your transgressions. Let’s pray.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for being the ultimate example of love and generosity. Thank you for always being there and blessing me even I know I don’t deserve it. Lord, I desire to grow in a deeper relationship with you and live my life in such a way that is pleasing to you. Please help straighten my path where I’m wandering off like a lost sheep so that I am able to serve you and be a blessing to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.