05-19-25 part 1: Healing, Honoring, and Giving God Your First Fruits

1. A Healing That Could Only Be God

The devotional begins with a powerful testimony shared by a listener named Shel, who called into Dr. Spoon’s show to express gratitude after experiencing a miraculous healing. Scheduled for a heart stent due to concerning scans, Shel arrived for surgery—only for doctors to discover the blockage was no longer significant. What changed? Prayer, faith, and the hand of God. Dr. Spoon celebrated the miracle, not just for its medical impact, but because Shel gave glory to God. Unlike the nine lepers who never came back, Shel returned to say, “Thank You.” That kind of response honors the Healer.

2. Testimonies as Ministry Tools

Dr. Spoon affirms that our stories of healing and deliverance are not ours to hoard—they're tools to encourage others and glorify God. When Shel asked for prayer to be able to share his testimony effectively, Dr. Spoon reminded him of Luke 12:12: “The Holy Spirit will give you the words when you need them.” Believers often hesitate to speak because they fear not having the right words, but the same God who heals also empowers. Testimonies aren’t about perfect wording—they’re about pointing people to the perfect Savior who still moves today.

3. Cain, Abel, and the Quality of Our Offerings

Tying Shel’s miracle to Scripture, Dr. Spoon pivots to Malachi and Genesis, addressing how God responds to offerings. He highlights Cain and Abel’s sacrifices—not to debate livestock vs. produce, but to focus on heart posture. Abel gave God his first and best. Cain gave leftovers. God wasn’t pleased with partial worship then, and He isn’t now. Dr. Spoon warns that giving God a tip instead of a treasure insults His goodness. Especially after God moves powerfully, we must respond not just with a verbal “thank You,” but with a heart offering that reflects our gratitude.

4. First Fruits and Faithful Living

Dr. Spoon closes with a heartfelt challenge: don’t “fit God in.” If He truly is Lord, He deserves the best of your time, heart, and life—not the leftovers. God gave His best in Jesus—shouldn’t we respond in kind? Dr. Spoon reminds us that honoring God isn’t limited to financial gifts. It could be time, talent, service, or worship. The key is this: God deserves first place, not a slot in your schedule. Just like a bumper sticker seen on the freeway that sparked encouragement between strangers, living boldly for God—even in small ways—can proclaim truth louder than words ever could.