Giving by faith requires giving God the firstfruits of one’s increase. The Lord not only wants us to bring our gifts to Him but also wants us to give to Him first. According to Proverbs 3:9, we should honour the Lord with the firstfruits of our increase. We are not to pay all our bills only to give God the leftovers. God is to take first place each and every time. This makes giving to Him an act of faith. After all, “without faith it is impossible to please him” (Hebrews 11:6). This includes the area of giving where so many seem to struggle so much. Is God honoured when we decide to simply give Him the leftovers? Certainly not! Yet, when we give God the first of our increase, we signify to Him that we trust that He will meet the remaining needs we may have.
Isaiah chapter 52 illustrates a well-beloved prophecy concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and His crucifixion. Verse 14 testifies to the seriousness of His crucifixion as it points out that Christ's “visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.” These truths point to His physical sufferings, but in no way detract from the spiritual sufferings Christ suffered on the cross. The fact that He took our sins upon Himself remains beyond our comprehension. This same truth applies to the physical sufferings that were more than any man could withstand. With the crucifixion as its context, Isaiah chapter 52 declares that Christ would deal with prudence. The book of Hebrews reinforces this truth as it points out that He “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). The Lord's every action was performed with prudence. We, as the Lord's servants, ought to follow the example He set for us.
