I love to visit the pick-your-own fields at our local orchard. The drive there is so beautiful and peaceful, and it’s so calming to meander through the rows of fruit and gather the best of the season’s yield.
Just recently I took the little ones peach picking—one of our favorite things to pick at the orchard. It was blazing hot, so we didn’t stay too long; but we did manage to collect a small bounty.
As we pulled out of the farm and headed back home, I noticed a small grove of baby trees right along the farm’s front fence. I’m not sure what kind of trees they were, but they looked like they were just starting to sprout their first little crop. In that moment, I remembered something I heard Lara Casey, founder of Cultivate What Matters, share last summer about her peach growing adventure. She talked about the pruning process and how you’re supposed to cut down the very first fruit so that the peaches that grow afterwards will be more bountiful and much sweeter.
Immediately I thought about how God asks us for our first fruits. When we work hard for what we earn, it may be tempting to want to hold on to the first signs of success. It may feel like we can’t afford to tithe, especially after a season of struggling to grow income. When that job or raise or promotion or bonus finally emerges, our natural response is to hold on to those first dollars because they’ve been so long awaited.
But here’s the thing: That first ten percent is the least of what we will receive if we are diligent and faithful to the process. Our giving gives way to a more abundant blessing that’s sweeter to enjoy. When you think about it, God is asking for the least and the worst of what we have. When we give that to Him, He promises to make the most of it. He always gives us His very best.
Final word of encouragement: If you feel led to give something, give it. Don’t hesitate or worry. God’s hands are the best place to put your gifts.