First Fruits
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (James 1:17-18)
Today’s Morsel: First fruits were the first. They were the first things that had to be given back to God. Moses told the children of Israel: “Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.” (Exodus 22:29) You must not hold back from God what is rightfully His. When we fail to give to God our first fruits, we are withholding from Him, and He is not obligated to do anything for us ever again. Even our tithe and offerings must be first. Scripture says: “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.” (Genesis 4:1-7) Notice that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect. Cain just brought of the fruit of the ground. Scripture does not say that it was of Cain’s first. And his offering was rejected. But scripture does say that Abel brought the of the firstlings and the fat. His best. God doesn’t need anything from us. Everything is already His. But He asks of us, to teach us the lesson of keeping Him first in our lives, and showing appreciation for what He does for us.
Sing: Heavenly Father, I appreciate You. Heavenly Father, I appreciate You. I love You, adore You, I bow down before You; Heavenly Father, I appreciate You.
Thought For Today: “Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.” (Haggai 1:6-7)
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