And it shall be, when you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide.     Deuteronomy 26:1-2 NKJV

First fruits is a term often used in the Old Testament. Here, Moses is telling the Israelites that when they enter the Promised Land or the land that God is giving them as an inheritance, they are to bring the first fruits produced on that land and present them to God in His house.

It specifically says the first fruits. It doesn’t say what is left over after you and your family eat the fruit. It doesn’t say the ones you threw out because they weren’t as good as the others. It says the first fruits.

This same principle applies to us today. Every moment we have is ours because God has given it to us, just as He had given the Israelites the Promised Land or Canaan. Every penny we earn, we earn because of God’s goodness in giving us the necessary talent, intelligence, and ability to earn it.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned to you more than one time that we are to put God first. This means we give back to Him. God blesses us, and we show our appreciation by giving back to Him. This is our system today of tithing. I learned the hard way many years ago to make my first check written on payday to the church. I tithe first and then trust God with the rest. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you.”

This isn’t just about money, but it’s also about our time. God wants the first of our time that He gives us in a day. He doesn’t want you to wait until you are worn out and can barely stay away to try to study your Bible or pray to Him. We should be praying to Him throughout the day, but that’s a whole other blog.

Give God the first part of your day. There is no better way to start your day than in Bible study and prayer. When we do this, God will take care of us on our busiest days.

God doesn’t need our time or our money. He owns or is over everything. Psalm 50:10-12 says, “For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness.”

God doesn’t need us to provide for Him. He provides for us. Giving back a portion of what He gives to us shows our love and appreciation for all He does for us. When we give Him the first and the best of what He has so graciously given us, it shows that we put Him first in all we do, whether it be facing another day or working at our jobs.

When we cheerfully give God our first and our best, He blesses us. You don’t have to take my word for it; try for yourselves.

Have a great day!