Tag: cheerful giver
God loves the cheerful giver!
Scripture reading for September 7th: 2nd Corinthians 9:1-15
How do you respond when the preacher calls for the offering? What is you feeling when he asks for a second offering to help with missions or benevolence? Do you find yourself groaning or speaking negatively to yourself? If you have trouble with these questions, the Lord wants to help you with a new attitude!
Paul was preparing the Corinthians for his own coming to receive an offering for the saints at Jerusalem and did not want to come and find them unprepared. “So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given. 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.” (2nd Corinthians 9:5-7)
Notice how Paul encouraged them to give. They were to plan ahead what they should give. Each person should decide in his heart what to give. No one should put pressure on them or force them, because this would make them reluctant or grudging givers. They should be like farmers sowing seeds for a harvest. The more seed they sowed, the bigger would be their harvest. They should plant this giving seed with a cheerful heart of faith because God would bring a harvest. God loves cheerful givers because that is how He gives to us! “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 9:8)
God supplies the needs of His people through faithful giving. This brings praise to His Name and a supply of blessing to those who give! “This service that you perform (generous, cheerful giving) is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies you confession of the Gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and everyone else.” (2nd Corinthians 9:12-13) Let’s cause an overflow of thanksgiving by giving!
Abounding Grace!
Scripture reading for November 28th: 2nd Corinthians 6-9
“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!