Ezekiel 44:30 (NASB)
30 “And the first of all the first fruits of every kind and every contribution of every kind, from all your contributions, shall be for the priests; you shall also give to the priest the first of your dough to cause a blessing to rest on your house.

One of the basic questions most people ask is, “Why do I need to give my money to the Lord?” Many people look at the buildings we use and then how tight their own personal budget is and they determine that they need that money more than the Church. Have you ever had that type of reasoning enter into your mind? Today’s scripture touches on an answer to this question. There is a blessing from God upon the home of those who give to God first. God did not sayHedoesn’t want you to have the portion you worked for; He simply explains that the power of His blessing is tied to when we give to Him first, not last, or not at all. Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. This sounds good to the ear, but most of us could use a little more receiving in our bank accounts! Putting our personal situations aside, I think everyone can relate to the good feelings we have inside our hearts when we sacrifice for the well being of someone less fortunate. I would even go beyond that to the good feelings we have when we bless someone we love with an unexpected gift. So really, I think all of us can agree with what Jesus said; it is better to give than to receive! But why does God want us to give to Him first before we eat any of the produce, or in today’s world, use any of the money? When we give to Him first, we are putting our trust in Him instead of ourselves or our employers. We are declaring that our financial well being is not determined by the world markets, it is blessed by God! Secondly, when we give to Him first, He gets all that He deserves and requires. There is a strange phenomenon that occurs when we give to God last. There seems to be nothing left to give! This is why it is so scary to start giving to God. Our natural experience is that if we give to Him first, there won’t be anything left for our needs at the end. This is where God does something supernatural. He makes our money extend and expand in ways we cannot. He has our best interest at heart. He wants our kids to have clothes, go to college and even be able to see the dentist! He wants us to have a nice car instead of one that breaks down all the time. He wants us to own a home, not just pay rent to someone else. How do I know all of this? All of these promises are found in His word; except the dentist. The same word that challenges us to honor Him with the first also promises us a better or blessed life when we obey. For most of us it is difficult to grasp, but ask someone who has obeyed God for several years. Ask them if they believe God has lived up to His end of the bargain. You will see a smile and a confident yes will be your answer.