“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.”

— Proverbs 3:9–10 (ESV)

For many years, I believed that honoring God with my finances started and ended with the tithe—the first 10%. And while the tithe is a good and biblical practice, the Lord has been gently challenging me not to stop there. In fact, He’s been showing me that true stewardship isn’t about giving a portion, but surrendering everything.

When we read Proverbs 3:9–10, we’re reading a portion of wisdom literature—a father instructing his son to live a life that trusts and honors God. Verse 9 commands us to “honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce.” This would have meant giving the first and best of the harvest, an act of trust that placed God above personal security or self-preservation. The firstfruits were a statement: “Lord, You come first.”

But when we apply deeper understanding (hermeneutics)—asking what it meant then and what it means now—we realize this passage doesn’t limit “honoring” to the firstfruits alone. It begins there, but it doesn’t end there. The phrase “honor the Lord with your wealth” covers the totality of our resources. It means our entire financial life—how we earn, spend, save, invest, and give—is under the lordship of Christ.

I used to treat the 90% as if it were mine to manage however I pleased. After all, I gave my 10%, right? But that’s a shallow view of stewardship. If God is truly Lord of all, then all of it must be surrendered. He’s not just concerned about our giving—He’s concerned about our living.

How I use the 90% reveals my heart just as much as how I give the 10%. Do I spend wisely? Am I content? Do I save intently? Do I invest prudently? Do I practice generosity even beyond the tithe? Do I plan for the future with wisdom? Am I a blessing to others with what remains?

The promise in verse 10—“your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine”—is not a blank check from heaven. It’s a picture of God’s faithfulness to those who live wisely and honor Him fully. It’s about sufficiency, not luxury. It’s about walking in God’s economy, not the world’s.

So today, I remind myself: the goal is not just to be a good giver, but to be a faithful steward. The 10% honors God, but so does the 90%. The tithe is an act of worship—but so is budgeting, saving, blessing others, and resisting greed.

Another thing I have to remind myself: Before I am a steward, I am first and foremost a son.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for all that You’ve entrusted to me. Teach me to honor You not just with the tithe, but with every part of my financial life. Help me to be faithful with the 10% and the 90%, knowing that all of it comes from You and belongs to You. May my financial decisions reflect trust, wisdom, and worship. Amen.