Proverbs 3:9 Honor the LORD with your substance, and with the first fruits of all your increase: I. A DUTY ENJOINED. Honouring the Lord with our substance. 1. We are to honour God in the expenditure of our substance upon causes of piety and benevolance. Our money — even our time, our health, our talents — is not our own. The humblest and the greatest are but stewards. Whatever they have is a trust. 2. God is to be first considered in the distribution and expenditure of our means. Our general plan is to see whether we have anything left for God. To honour the Lord is our positive, our first, duty. 3. Charitable and religious expenditure should be systematic. II. A PROMISE ANNEXED TO THE DISCHARGE OF THE DUTY: "Thy barns be filled with plenty." Expenditure here is gain. Have faith in God. "There is that scattereth and yet increaseth." Christian liberality is gain, because it is giving unto the Lord. You cannot lose by faith, you cannot lose by obedience. Do not narrow too hastily, too selfishly, too covetously, the limits of what you think you can spare. Shrink not from self-denial. The test for us is our comparative expenditure for self and for God. (John C. Miller, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:WEB: Honor Yahweh with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase: |
    |