Proverbs 3: Honor the Lord With Your Wealth, and Welcome His Discipline

Read Proverbs 3:9–12 in the NASB 1995 here.

These four verses cover two things you don’t usually hear in the same breath.

Money and discipline.

First, honor the Lord with your wealth. With the first fruits of what you have. Give Him the first part, not the leftovers. Solomon promises barns filled with plenty, vats overflowing with new wine.

  • Honor God with the first and best, not the leftovers.
  • God’s discipline is not rejection. It is proof of His love.
  • Both come down to believing He knows what He is doing with your life.

This isn’t a formula for getting rich. It’s a picture of what happens when God comes first in your finances instead of last. Something shifts. Maybe not dramatically. But something.

hand holding golden grain in a sunny field, a picture of honoring the Lord with your first fruits

Then Solomon turns hard.

My son, don’t despise the Lord’s discipline. Don’t grow weary of His reproof.

Nobody enjoys being corrected. Nobody. But look at the reason he gives. The Lord reproves the ones He loves, like a father reproves the son he delights in.

Discipline isn’t rejection. It’s proof you belong to Someone who cares enough to correct you.

Honoring God with your first and best, and trusting His discipline, both come down to the same thing. Believing He knows what He’s doing with your life.

Discipline as Punishment vs. Discipline as Love

Discipline Feels Like Punishment

  • I hear correction as rejection
  • I pull away and get defensive
  • I assume God has given up on me
  • I stay stuck in the same pattern

Discipline Is Love

  • Correction proves I belong to Him
  • I stay close and listen
  • He corrects me because He delights in me
  • I grow stronger through it
hand gently touching golden wheat in a green field, a picture of how to honor the Lord with your wealth

Think It Over

  1. What part of your income or time do you give God first, and what part gets the leftovers?
  2. Is there correction in your life right now that feels like punishment?
  3. What would change if you saw it as proof that He delights in you?

I’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Reflect: Is there discipline in your life right now that feels more like punishment than love? What would it look like to see it differently?

Pray: Lord, help me give You my first and best, not my leftovers. And when You correct me, let me remember it’s because You love me, not because You’ve given up on me. Amen.

Scripture links open the New American Standard Bible (NASB 1995) at Bible Gateway.

Discover more from goodthoughtsgoodlives

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

author avatar
Rebecca
Hi. I'm so glad you're here. My blog focuses on faith and mental health issues such as mood disorders like depression, anxiety, and dysthymia (chronic low moods that don't qualify as depression.) I post DIY and decorating projects when I can. My book, "Depression Has A Big Voice. Make Yours Bigger! (Expanded Edition), is on sale at all online retailers. I have a Psychology degree and post-graduate courses in Clinical Pastoral Education. I am a former hospital chaplain, Bible teacher, and retreat/conference inspirational speaker. Thank you for visiting and may you feel God's presence today.
See Full Bio
social network icon