What Gets the First Fruits?
OPENING PRAYER:
Holy Spirit, search my heart and reveal what truly holds first place in my life. Help me see beyond my words and intentions to the reality of where my treasure lies and where my heart follows.
"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain and your vats will overflow with good wine."
This passage comes from Solomon's wisdom literature, written as a father instructing his sons. In ancient Israel, the "first fruits" weren't leftovers—they were the choicest portion, given before anyone knew if there would be enough left over. This required radical trust that God would provide.
REFLECT:
Pastor Christian Hallberg warned us against turning this verse into a simple equation—give to God and get rich. That's not what Solomon meant at all. Remember, these verses come right after Solomon has been telling us to trust God's ways completely, not our own understanding. The point isn't reverse-engineering a formula for wealth; it's about who gets priority in every area of our lives, especially our finances.
Christian showed us two jars to illustrate this principle, and the visual is striking. In the first jar, he put sand in first, then small rocks, then tried to fit the big rocks on top—but they didn't fit. There wasn't room. That's exactly how most of us approach managing our money. We fill our lives with all the small stuff first—the daily expenses, the things we want, the subscriptions, the conveniences, all the little purchases that add up. Then we try to fit God in at the top, and there's just no room left. We end up giving Him whatever's left over, if anything. But then Christian showed us the second jar, and this is where everything changes. When you put the big rocks in first - when you prioritize God and what matters most before anything else - then you add the smaller rocks, and finally the sand, and somehow it all fits. In fact, there's even more space than you realized. The sand and small rocks fill in around the big rocks. When we put God first with our finances, when we honor Him before we spend on anything else, He has a way of making everything else work. Not because we've manipulated Him with our giving, but because we've aligned ourselves with His design for how this tool called money is supposed to function in our lives.
APPLY:
Pull up your bank statement from last month. Don't judge yourself—just look honestly. Does your spending reflect that God is first in your life? If someone only had your financial records to go on, what would they say you worship? Write down one specific change you can make this week to honor God first with your resources—whether that's setting up automatic giving, adjusting your budget, or simply praying before you spend.
I WILL STATEMENT:
I will put in the big rocks first.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Father, forgive me for the times I've given You what's left instead of what's first. Teach me to trust You enough to put You first, knowing that You are faithful and that Your design for my resources is better than my own plans. Give me courage to rearrange my priorities.
PRAYER REQUEST:
Share your prayer request and pray for others.