SATURDAY EDITORIAL

PROSPERITY

PROVERBS 3:9) Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

Let us lay out our estate, not to please ourselves, but to glorify God. As was commanded in the law, Ex 23:19 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk., De 26:2 That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there., and by this we acknowledged that God is the giver of all things, and that we are ready to bestow all at His commandment. Our firstfruits simply means our chief or our best.

Worldly wealth is but poor substance, yet, such as it is, we must honour God with it; and those that do good with what they have, shall have more to do more good with. Where riches increase we are tempted to honour ourselves (Deut. 8:17 and lest thou say in thy heart, My power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth.) and to set our hearts upon the world (Ps.62: 10 Trust not in oppression, And become not vain in robbery: If riches increase, set not your heart thereon.); but the more God gives us the more we should study to honour him.

We are just plain mistaken if we think that giving will undo us and make us poor. No, giving for God's honour will make us rich, Hag. 2:19 Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, the vine, and the fig-tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive-tree have not brought forth; from this day will I bless you. What we give we have.

We must not come to worship God empty-hearted; our souls must be filled with holy desires toward Him, and dedications of ourselves to Him; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. What a good Master do we serve, who has made it our duty to rejoice before Him! Let us devote with pleasure to the service of God that portion of our time which He requires, and count His Sabbaths and ordinances to be a feast unto our souls.

When God has made good His promises to us, He expects we should own it to the honour of His faithfulness. And our creature comforts are doubly sweet, when we see them flowing from the fountain of the promise. And though we become rich and great, there is no reason to be proud, secure, or forgetful of God. We must thankfully acknowledge God's great goodness.

The world tries to get it by shrewdness, unscrupulousness, and by many other vices which are elevated to the rank of virtues; but he who honours the Lord in getting and spending will generally have as much as his true needs and regulated desires require.

God, who is the first and best, must have the first and best of every thing; His right is prior to all other, and therefore He must be served first.

God's Blessings to each of you,
LJG/rECj

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY
Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.