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Lessons on First Fruits

This is a three year old fruit tree in our back yard.  At the top of this tree you can see the first tangerines it has ever produced.  You can imagine how excited we were after watching that tree grow for three years to finally try those juicy, little treats!  However, while we were waiting for the tangerines to fully ripen, we had some people stay in our home while we were gone and they ate ALL our fruits and we didn't even get to enjoy them. 

After getting over our initial frustration, we realized that there seems to be a lesson in this somewhere.  We decided we had "unwillingly" given our first fruits offering!  We gave of the best that we had.

Proverbs 3 says it like this, "Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine."

The neat thing about first fruits is that you know that there is more to come.   You give up something now in faith that your sacrifice will bring greater rewards.  Now, admittedly, we didn't generously give away our fruit, we were so ready to scarf them all down ourselves. We hadn't even considered sharing from the small harvest we had reaped and we are learning what it means to honor the Lord with all our possessions.

With this little incident we're reminded to keep an open hand to others and believe by faith that God will bless us when we give with joyful hearts. 

What about you?  Do you give first fruits offerings to the Lord?  Have you seen the increase that comes with it?
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