Carina Francke

Give to everyone what you owe them: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, then honour.  Romans 13:7

Man is very creative in thinking out ways to honour people and costs to do so are not spared.  Speeches, statues, plinths engraved with names of worthy recipients, streets named after prominent persons and even the Nobel Prize, are but some of the various ways of how someone can be honoured.

Yet we struggle to honour the incomparable achiever, peacemaker and giver, – the only God – in an easily executable, simple and economic manner as spelt out in the Word. Proverbs 3: 9,10 teaches: "Honour the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops."

Cain & Abel brought offerings to God. Tithes are discussed after Abram’s victory in freeing Lot. After the victory Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God, met with Abram, blessed him and gave him bread and wine. Deeply aware that he was dealing with someone who was greater than himself, Abram honoured the king by giving him a tenth of all the goods that he had recovered through his victory. (Genesis 14:18-20).  He did not give because one or other law demanded that he do so, but in humble recognition of the king of Salem, who; “…was priest of God Most High…" (Genesis 14:18).

Abraham’s faith in, and respect for God, is also the motivation for his willingness to sacrifice his promised child to God (Genesis 22). A poor widow gives all she owns to honour God (Luke 21:1-4) and a wealthy tax collector 's life is so changed by his encounter with Jesus, that in gratitude he gives away and refunds, what he unjustly took. (Luke 19:1-10).

You and I also need to honour God for whom he is. He is the God of light, the God of love, the giver of good gifts and our provider. Our worship must be a consequence of our gratitude that he is involved in our lives. If we do not know how to do so, Deuteronomy 26:10,11 spells it out for us.  Firstly, “and now I bring the first fruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.”; Secondly, “Place the basket before the Lord your God…”.   Thirdly, “… bow down before him  ...”.  The attitude, in which we must do so, is spelled out:  “…you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.”

Prayer: In my humanness I bow down in gratitude before you for all the good things with which you have blessed me. My lips sing a cheerful song from the depths of my heart and my hands are open with offerings to honour you! Amen.