Honor the Lord with Your First Fruits

“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” — Proverbs 3:9–10

This Proverb offers practical wisdom for how believers can approach financial decisions with a heart of worship. While it’s tempting to spiritualize such verses—applying them only to our time or relationships—it’s worth embracing the direct challenge: to honor God with monetary wealth.

To “honor the Lord” is to give Him the weight He deserves—acknowledging His role as Creator, Giver, and Redeemer. When Scripture says to do so with wealth, it reminds us that money is not off-limits to God. Rather, money is a vehicle for extolling his glory.

The phrase “first fruits of all your crops” pushes this idea further. It doesn’t suggest we give God leftovers or spare change, but the best portion—the first and finest part of all we have been entrusted with. This includes income, investments, inheritances, real estate, and savings. We must examine whether we’re holding back certain financial goals from God’s influence. Are we clinging too tightly to tax efficiency, high returns, or a perfectly calculated legacy plan?

Then comes the promise: “your barns will be filled… your vats will brim…” Often, I’ve read this as symbolic—that if we honor God spiritually, He will care for us practically. But what if this isn’t just a metaphor? What if honoring God with monetary wealth leads to an overflowing eternal harvest, a spiritual legacy built on faithful stewardship?

Recently, this came into focus as I considered how to invest for my children’s future. I explored 529 plans, custodial accounts, and other vehicles, each with pros and cons. For instance, 529 plans offer tax-free growth for education but often limit investment choices. Many growth-oriented funds in these plans may profit from industries that contradict our faith. Would I prioritize maximum return to my family—or honoring God? Would I trust God enough to choose a less efficient way to save for college, believing that honoring Him will provide more than earthly returns? Would God really come through for my children’s future?

Those questions challenged me. Instead of choosing one path over the other, I considered a blended approach. I could hold growth-oriented investments in a custodial account—where I can screen for faith-aligned companies—while using a 529 for safer, screened bond holdings. Yes, this approach is more complex and likely less tax-efficient. But it allows me to honor the Lord with one of my most meaningful investments: my children’s future.

Someday, I’ll tell them this story— that Mom and Dad invested in a way that aligned with our faith. That we sought profit—but not at the expense of God’s purposes and character. That honoring God with our wealth mattered more than squeezing out every dollar for our family’s benefit. How I treat and use the resources God has given my family is vital to my discipleship with Jesus, and my discipleship with my kids.

I feel the peace of God’s promises in these decisions—that the barns and vats—the eternal ones—will overflow.

I encourage you with these questions for reflection:

Where is the Lord inviting you to honor Him with the resources He has entrusted to you? Are there first fruits you have deemed unavailable to God? How might God be encouraging you to honor Him with the wealth you steward? Do you believe God will come through with His eternal promise of overflowing barns and cups?