Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
(Prov. 3:9-10)

I'd like to focus on honoring God with the first fruits because I know of people who, at the end of the month, remember that extra money came in and that they need to give one tenth of that income. We need to make the decision to tithe at the moment the money comes in. In other words, it's something we do immediately. The tithe should never be an afterthought.

The Amplified version of the Bible says to honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency (Prov. 3:9). If you tithe as soon as you receive the blessing, you are telling God, "I put You first." This should not only apply to the money that comes in, but to everything else that God gives you—your home, your children, your belongings, etc.

The Truth About Cain and Abel
The Book of Genesis tells the story of Cain and Abel. You could say that Cain was a crop farmer and Abel was a sheep farmer. They both worked the grounds but the products they produced were different. One grew in the ground, the other on the top of the ground.

And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord and offering the fruits of the ground. And Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat portions. And the Lord had respect and regard for Abel and his offering. But for Cain and his offering He had no respect or regard. So Cain was exceedingly angry and indignant, and he looked sad and depressed.
(Gen. 4:3-5 AMP)

What are the firstlings? They are the first fruits. Cain's offering wasn't the first fruits. He just brought an offering in the process of time.

God had respect for Abel's offering but didn't respect Cain's. Was it because God hated broccoli? Did God get upset because Cain gave him vegetables? Cain's business was not sheep farming. I know everybody says, "God was upset because Cain brought vegetables."

No. It had nothing to do with vegetables or sheep. It had to do with "in the courts of time" and "first fruits."  God respected and honored Abel's offering above Cain's, because Cain brought his offering in the course of time.

Ananias and Sapphira
Acts 5 tells us about an offering that was so powerful that two people dropped dead:

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?

While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." Then Ananias hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.
(Acts 5:1-6)

Now, after an interval of about three hours, Ananias' wife came in. She did not know what had happened and also lied. You could say, "Why did Peter pick on her? One loss in the family is enough. She would have learned her lesson just having lost her husband."

Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" And she said, "Yes, for so much." Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."
(Acts 5:7-9)

God Looks at the Heart
Why did they die? First of all, they sold the land and said they were going to give the proceeds to God. But then, at the last minute, they reneged and then lied to the Holy Spirit. God really looks upon our hearts when we give.

Somebody said, "Are you saying that if I give in the offering or don't give in the offering, I'm going to die?" No. I haven't heard of anybody in recent times dying during the offering. But there is a principle that we need to learn.

Abel died over an offering. But he was in the forefront of receiving his brother's anger because his brother's heart was not right. Ananias and Sapphira didn't have to give anything, but they had made a promise that they were not prepared to keep. Instead of telling the truth and giving the part they had agreed to give, they lied and died.

They were not obligated to give it all. They were only obligated to be truthful concerning the offering that they were prepared to give.

What is God trying to tell us? God sees the heart of the giver. No one can fool God. You can say, "Brother Rodney, I just wanted to give and serve." But God knows exactly what's going on in your heart. We have to realize that an offering is more than just putting some money in the bucket.

God has blessed us with everything we have. We're not doing Him any favors by giving to Him. We are honoring Him. But in reality we are doing ourselves a favor. We need to give, more than God needs to receive from us. He owns everything. He wants to teach us to be good stewards of what He has given us.

Many parents work hard to provide for their children and would be very hurt if their children responded with ungratefulness or a lack of appreciation.

Likewise, God has done everything to provide for us and when we come to Him with our tithes and offerings, we need to remember we are sowing back into His kingdom. We are saying, "God, my heart is right and I put you first place in my life. Everything I have belongs to You and You can have it all if You want it."

But God doesn't want it all. He just wants one-tenth. So let's honor Him with our offerings and our first fruits.

Meditate on what it means to give first fruits. God always comes first. That's what makes the difference. It shows the "good heart" attitude—the attitude that will bring you the blessing.

Today, we don't have people dropping dead, but we do have people who are deceitful with their finances before God. They are not going to be blessed. Show me a giver and I will show you somebody who is going to be blessed. Show me somebody who is always deceitful in the area of the finances that belong to God, and I'll show you someone who seems to always walk in calamity.

Let me encourage you to honor God with your first fruits, giving to Him from the top and not off the bottom. Always remember that by giving first fruits, you honor God and He will fill your household with abundance and your vats will overflow with new wine.

Source: Thoughts On Stewardship—Vol. 1
by Rodney Howard-Browne
Excerpt permission granted by R.H.E.B.A. Publishers