Quote for Reflection (Sunday, July 27, 2025)

Today, many of us think about giving only after all other claims on our resources are satisfied. We give essentially out of our leftovers – that is, if anything is left over with all the pressure to buy, spend, and overextend ourselves financially. First fruits-giving invites us to give off the top, to make giving the first claim on our resources rather than the last, and let other expenditures fall in place in light of that priority. It means offering our best to God, making giving a priority rather than an afterthought. If we give in gratitude for what God has given us, it follows that we should give in proportion to what we have received. In Deuteronomy, the people are commanded as part of the celebration of the festival of weeks to contribute a freewill offering <in proportion to the blessing that you have received from the Lord your God= (Deuteronomy 16:10). And Paul commends the churches of Macedonia for giving “according to their means, and even beyond their means.” (2 Corinthians 8:3).

Generosity, Stewardship and Abundance – Lovett H. Weems, Jr and Ann A. Michgee