Living a Life that Honours God
ICS Daily Devotions

Proverbs 3:1,5-10 (NJKV) My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; … Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. Honour 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.

Throughout the ages, the debate has centred on whether to worship God or money. One can serve only one master. The opening passage says that as we trust the Lord with all our hearts and acknowledge Him, which means consecrating our plans to Him, He would direct our paths, or “make our path straight” (NIV). Then, it goes on to say we should honour Him.

By the time we get to the verse about honouring Him, it is assumed that we have chosen to live a consecrated life, and seek first His Kingdom and righteousness, knowing that He will add other things to us. As Christians, we choose to worship God and be stewards of the money He entrusts to us, because we have concluded that God is the source of all our blessings. We seek God’s face, not His hand. We do not pursue blessings because we understand that as we honour Him by diligently seeking Him and trusting Him, blessings will follow.

In Deuteronomy 28:1-14, God listed the blessings that would come upon His people if they obeyed His law. In the opening passage, He also started giving fatherly advice to His children, where He addressed them as sons, by asking them to observe His law so that they would be prosperous and successful. God wants to provide us with enough so we have no lack, and even to bless us materially.

After diligently following God’s teachings, the Israelites were reminded to honour God with their financial means, as this would help them to remember that He had given them the land of Canaan.

Trusting the Lord involves our finances. We honour God by giving Him the first and the best, rather than what is left over or about to spoil. The prerequisite is to honour Him with the firstfruits, and then our barns will be filled with plenty, and our vats overflow with new wine. This is God’s requirement; it not only tests the hearts of the people but also leads us to examine our own hearts.

Why would God want the people to honour Him with their possessions? We must remember that the Lord is the source of our provision and blessings. God will use individuals, companies, and businesses to bless us materially. This keeps us humble and reliant on Him, so that we will continue to believe in God and His Word.

Sermon Series：Wise Saying