Sunday Reflection...

Isn't it interesting how time can reverse roles in life?  When my son, Steve, was a little boy I was the one who read him Bible stories, and taught him about God's love.  Steve grew up to be an ordained minister, who is my pastor.   Now he's the one who teaches me from God's Word!

His first sermon series in this new year has been about "First Fruits Living."  First Fruits is a Biblical concept of giving back to God the "first fruits" of crops/harvest [or tithes and offerings from income in modern day living], and scriptures stipulate its to be the first and best fruits, not whatever might be leftover after we've taken care of everything else on our priority list.

Steve has been challenging us to not only give back the first fruits of our income to God, but the first fruits of everything we do involving our time, talents, abilities and spiritual gifts.

January is the first month of the new year.  In the US it's known as National Thank You Month. Steve has challenged us to give God praise for who He is, and thanks for His countless blessings throughout the first month of the new year.  That's not to say we shouldn't praise and thank God the other 11 months of the year, but in January start the year off with praise and gratitude, rather than petitions and requests.

Sunday is the first day of the week.  Give it to God by attending church and worshiping Him.

Give God the first fruits of every day, by having prayer and devotions first thing.

Thank God for meals and His provisions before eating.

You get the idea!  It's my desire to maintain a pattern of "First Fruits Living" in everything I do.

Steve was invited to present a devotion to Michigan State University student athletes in a voluntary chapel service earlier this week.  Can you guess what he talked to them about? Yep!  "First Fruits Living!"  There were sixty-some athletes present, and Steve said they were so receptive.  How wonderful to see these students giving God the first fruits of their life - their youth.

"But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what He wants.  Then the other things will be yours as well."  Matthew 6:33  [Contemporary English Version]

May God bless your week!