“Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase” (v. 9). A great text to preach on for Stewardship Sunday! To honor the Lord is not merely to speak well of Him but to place Him first—in heart, in time, and even in wealth. This is no cold command to give begrudgingly but an invitation to joyfully acknowledge everything we have is from His hand. The “first fruits” are the best of the harvest, offered in thanksgiving before any was kept. So it is for us: not the leftovers, not the spare change, but the first and best, because He is worthy, and because He has already given us all things in Christ (Romans 8:32).
To honor God with your wealth—however much or little He’s given you—is an act of faith. It says, “I trust You more than my resources. I believe You provide—not my paycheck, not my performance, but You.” It teaches the heart to hold possessions loosely and to cling to the Giver, not the gift. In a world ruled by scarcity and fear, generosity is rebellion. It confesses our God is not stingy but abundant, and not distant but near. Each offering, whether great or small, becomes an act of worship—an outward sign of an inward trust that all things belong to Him and are returned in love. Hence the Offering portion of the Divine Service.
“So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine” (v. 10). This is not a prosperity promise in the worldly sense. God is not a vending machine, and our giving is not a transaction with the Lord. Rather, it’s a picture of blessing—of how the Lord delights to care for those who trust in Him. Sometimes, He does so materially; more often, spiritually, by freeing us from the tyranny of greed and the anxiety of self-preservation. A heart that gives is a heart that rests in God’s provision. The barn may be small, and the wine simple, but the peace is rich, and the joy is overflowing.
The greatest First Fruits is Christ Himself—risen from the dead, the guarantee of the full harvest to come (1 Corinthians 15:20). Because He gave Himself wholly for us, we give in return, not to earn His favor, but to reflect His love. Therefore, honor the Lord not only with words or worship, but also with your wealth, however much or little. Let your budget bear witness to your faith. Let your giving echo the cross. And in doing so, find that your soul is filled even more than your barns, and your heart overflows more sweetly than any wine.
The Lutheran Column 