Tag: 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
Food for a multitude!
Scripture reading for February 17: Mark 6
“But He answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and by two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” And He said to them, “How man loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then He commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish He looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And He divided the two fish among them all. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of fish.” Mark 6:37-43
Mark tells us how Jesus had a large crowd of five thousand men plus women and children come out into the wilderness to hear Him preach and teach. When it was late evening, the disciples suggested to Jesus that He send them away to find food in the villages. Jesus turned the tables and told the disciples to provide food for them. Their brains thought about buying bread and how much money it might take to feed that large a crowd. Jesus asked them for an inventory of what they had. He had the disciples bring the five loaves and two fish that they found and to organize the crowd into family units. He blessed the food, broke it and gave it to the disciples, who, in turn, broke it and gave it to the people. When all had been fed, they gathered twelve baskets of left-overs! (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
Jesus was teaching His disciples to see things from a different perspective. They were to live by faith in what they had, not fear of what they did not have. They were to seek God’s blessing on what they had and act with that as seed to sow. As they gave in faith to those in need, God multiplied the bread and fish and met the need with an abundance left over! Amazing grace received through faith!
Do you live with feeling of lack and fear over provisions? Has God ever ‘multiplied’ the bread as you by faith gave! Have you tried to suggest a course of action and had the Lord tell you to do it yourself?
Prayer: Father God, thank You that you are always at work to expand our world-view. Forgive me for living in the natural world and fearing lack. Help me to stay calm, take inventory, and ask You to bless what I do have. Thank You for overflowing abundance every time I have believed You! Amen!
Abounding Grace!
Scripture reading for November 27: 2nd Corinthians 6-13
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2nd Corinthians 9:6-8
I love this passage of Scripture. As a farmer who has sowed many fields with seed, I understand the principles of sowing and reaping. When you sow seed, if you are stingy and sow less than needed, you will have a problem with weeds. Weeds will come up and choke out the small amount of seed that you placed in the ground. If you sow plenty of seed, it will produce an abundant crop. A farmer must be willing to let go of the seed. Sowing with a bad attitude doesn’t bring blessing. The seed must be turned loose and let go of into the earth in order to produce. We can’t hold onto it and expect a crop! Sowing must be done in faith that a harvest will come. Our hope is in the seed and the Lord’s grace to provide water and weather.
Our giving to God’s work is the same way. The money is like seed. It represents our life energy that we have spent working or investing. As we give to God the tithe that belongs to Him and offerings, it is like seed sown into the kingdom of God. We must turn loose of it and let it do it’s work of multiplication. We give cheerfully and in faith believing that God will faithfully multiply the seed. He is willing and able to make all grace abound to us!
I like the emphasis on the word “all” in this simple passage. “All Grace” abounds to the cheerful giver. The giver has “all he needs” in “all things” at “all times”. God wants us to know abundance in our lives. When we sow, we can expect blessing and sufficiency. We actually set up a cycle of blessing that is described later in this chapter. Our giving brings thanksgiving to God from those that are helped. God gets tickled and gives you more seed to sow again. This meets the needs of others who again thank God. God gets tickled again and pours out even more blessing and multiplied seed so you can give even more! More people are helped and thank God and the cycle goes on! All grace abounds and you have all you need in all things at all times! That’s a cycle of abounding grace that all believers should tap into!