Giving God Your Best

What kind of gift would you give to a king?  If that is too hard to imagine, then how about to the President of the United States of America?  I think if we had the opportunity to come before someone "large and in charge" like that we'd dress our best and try to impress that person with our best behaviour at the very least.
If that person were to visit us in our home I can almost guarantee you that you'd be sprucing the place up, cleaning like no body's business and making sure the first impressions were memorable.
So why then do we find it so difficult to give to God anything less than our best?
In Genesis 4 we read of Cain and Abel, two brothers.  Abel tended to the flocks (sheep, livestock, that sort of thing) and Cain was a farmer.  Now we don't know how old these two brothers were when they decided to bring an offering to the Lord, but we can assume they weren't young boys, not knowing right from wrong.
Cain brought "some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord."  "But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock."  God was pleased with Abel's offering but not with Cain's. Why?
They both brought offerings before God didn't they? But Abel brought the best offering possible and Cain's offering was kinda like "well if you must have something then I suppose I'll give you some grain but not the best stuff, that's for me to enjoy!"  Do you give God the first fruits, a choice offering?  Or do you give him left overs?  What about when you start off your day?  Do you wake up with thoughts of thanksgiving and have a time where you can read God's Word?  Or do you wait until you are going to sleep to say a prayer or try to read with sleepy eyes a verse or two before drifting off for the night?
What about on your job?  Do you perform your job as if to the Lord? 
Give of your best to the Master says the old hymn. 
Did you ever stop to realize you can't out-give God? 
Luke 6:38 says "Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap."  ..... Jesus
Now would you give knowing that God will give back to you even more than you can hold?
This is a promise of Jesus!  We can trust his words and his promises.
Do you think that everything you've been blessed with is of your own making?  Do you think that perhaps you own money, houses, land, family, children, etc?  Well I suppose it might seem that way to one who's god is himself.  But to one who has Jehovah as God you must realize you don't own a thing!  God wants it all.
And then what God will do is to entrust you as caretaker of all He has given you and with all He has blessed you.  Now if God owns it all, doesn't that take a bit of the worry out of it?  Since God is far richer than we can ever imagine I think He can handle your small "possessions."  Just remember, He put you in charge of being caretaker.  So now you are responsible for how you manage things.  If God tells you to give to someone in need, listen and do it.  Give to God your very best.  If you are a student then be the best student you can be.  Do it as unto the Lord!!



First Fruits



Doing your work as unto the Lord