Verse of the Day 4/16

 Proverbs 3:9  Honor the Lord with your wealth
    and with the best part of everything you produce.  New Living Translation (NLT)

 

I ended yesterday's devotional with the words of the song "Praise the Savior Ye Who Know Him" and the lines that stuck in my mind were "Who can tell how much we owe Him?  Gladly let us render to Him all we are and have."  The term render has several definitions, one of them from Merriam-Websters is "to give in acknowledgment of dependence."  As Christians we give out of gratitude and our acknowledgment that all that we have comes from God and is His in the first place.

 

So many times God is given the leftovers.  This is so in our monetary gifts as well as our time and our devotion. Today's verse reminds us that we should "render" our best or "first fruits", the best produce of our lives.  Not an easy task.

 

Today's verse actually come from reading the words to the hymn "Give of Your Best to the Master".

 

Give of your best to the Master;
Give Him first place in your heart;
Give Him first place in your service;
Consecrate every part.
Give, and to you will be given;
God His beloved Son gave;
Gratefully seeking to serve Him,
Give Him the best that you have
 

May we give Him first place in our hearts today, may we give Him our best.

 

Blessings,
Mike
Follow the verse of the day at www.mikesvotd.blogspot.com

 

Proverbs 3:8-12

The Message (MSG)

^5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.
    Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
    your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
    give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
    your wine vats will brim over.
But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;
    don't sulk under his loving correction.
It's the child he loves that God corrects;
    a father's delight is behind all this.