“Honor God . . give Him the first and the best.” Proverbs 3:9 The Message
“He must be Lord of all or He is not Lord at all.”
My thoughts today are about “cause and effect.”
It really is this simple; life works best when you choose to always put God first. Now that sounds much easier than it seems to be for most of us. Maybe you try to put God first some times, maybe even most times. But at all times? What do you think?
I have heard it reasoned that “He must be Lord of all or He is not Lord at all.” Well, I think that same principle may apply here as well. He must be first all the time, or is He first any time, really? And if you would choose to put God first some time, why would you not do so all the time?
Solomon also wrote Ecclesiastes about a season in his life when he put himself first all the time – gained every desired possession, tried every pleasure, knew every luxury, satisfied every appetite – and found only emptiness. In this passage of Scripture (Proverbs 3:1-10), Solomon is now convinced that God’s ways are better than his own. You will be much better off when you are convinced of that also. Read Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV/ Psalm 18:30 NLT. What a contrast between reading Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.
Proverbs is Solomon’s testimony that God offers many wonderful and practical blessings for those who honor God with their life: living long and well (vs 1-2), favor of God and man (vs 3-4), clear direction (vs 5-6), health and life (vs 7-8), and abundance and overflow (vs 9-10). Are those things that you would like to have in your everyday life? Do you think you can successfully provide those for yourself?
Today’s verse demonstrates the faithful principle of cause and effect. Paul expressed this same principle in these words: “The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others – ignoring God – harvests a crop of weeds. All he will have to show for his life is weeds. But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life!” Galatians 6:8-9 The Message. In the example of today’s verse, the cause is your putting God first and giving Him your best; the effect is to experience that which makes life truly rich and meaningful – God’s blessing. Read Isaiah 1:19 NIV.
Jesus validated this principle of cause and effect in His words, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33 NKJV/NLT. You seek God; God provides your needs. You know where I think this really begins? Exactly where it makes the least sense to your natural mind – in the very practical, everyday arena of finances. The Bible calls that stewardship. God wants you to live with a practical generosity toward God and others. If you can’t trust God with the first and the best of what you have been given, how will you truly honor God with all that you are and have – your heart, your time, your abilities, your relationships? See 1 Corinthians 4:2 NKJV.
When you give your heart to Jesus and commit your life to Him, the very first place that you should make Him Lord of all is in your finances. Unfortunately, it is often the last. Three things are important to remember: God is your Source of all things good, God owns everything you have been given, and every spending decision is at its heart a spiritual decision. Read Malachi 3:10-12 NKJV.
My prayer for you today is: keep God first in all things and give God your best at all times.