"Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine."

God has given us a blessed promise: If we honor Him, then He will honor us! If we give Him the firstfruits, which is the best we have right off the top, then He’ll give us Himself.

Honoring God is giving Him your life, not just your money. Give financially because He’s gracious, but never to get something back, other than the joy of doing good and walking by faith. 2 Corinthians 9:9, "As it is written, He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."

He’ll make your gift abound to someone else’s thanksgiving, and He’ll supply your needs, even if it is grace to die a horrible death. He’ll give you Himself in joy and peace, if you give to Him by faith. Therefore, give Him yourself sincerely.

Sincere giving is from the heart. Paul says of Timothy,

Philippians 2:22-23,

"But you know his proven character, because he has served with me in the gospel ministry like a son with a father. Therefore, I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me.”

He wanted to send Timothy to Philippi, because he served from the heart. Likewise, God uses us and blesses us, because we are sincere servants. He blesses us with the joy of His fellowship and usefulness. He blesses our hearts to burn with sincere affection. He gives us the grace of loving others, and then He blesses that love with His own love bubbling up within us, so we are assured of His affection and enter a deep relationship [Rom 5:5]!

Oh, how wonderful is God to give us joy in service, as our sincerity improves. People serve themselves and think they are happy. We serve God and know real pleasure.

He told Eli,

1 Samuel 2:30 “Therefore, this is the declaration of the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Although I said your family and your ancestral house would walk before Me forever, the Lord now says, 'No longer!' I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disgraced.”

Eli had his ministry revoked. He served himself by honoring his family before his Maker [vs29]. Therefore, the ministry passed on to a faithful priest, even our Lord Jesus, the minister of the New Covenant! 1 Samuel 2:35, "And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever."

Christ honored God perfectly, and God highly exalted Him as the Savior of all who crouch to Him for a morsel of bread, and beg Him for a priestly position. 1 Samuel 2:36, “Anyone who is left in your family will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread. He will say: Please appoint me to some priestly office so I can have a piece of bread to eat.’” He will give eternal life to all who honor Him by acknowledging that He’s the ONLY ONE who rendered perfect firstfruit, and because of Him alone we are blessed [Rom 5:18].