Tag: God supplies
Generosity produces a great harvest!
Scripture reading for September 28th: Jeremiah 1-4, Psalm 130, 2nd Corinthians 9
2nd Corinthians 9: 10-15 “He Who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the Gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!”
Paul spoke to believers in Corinth who were familiar with an agrarian culture. He reminded them of the law of sowing and reaping. He reminded the Corinthians that it was God that supplied the seed for sowing and it was also God that caused the seed to sprout and produce the wheat to supply their bread to eat. Not only enough to eat, but more seed for next year’s sowing! Our giving is like that sowing of seed. As we wait on God, in time it produces a harvest of righteousness as we please God through our willing generosity. It produces thanksgiving in those receiving the gifts and they thank God for the givers and God for supplying! The givers receive blessings from God in more seed for sowing so that the harvest may overflow continuously! The harvest is promised by God the Giver of His only Son!
Psalm 130:5-7 “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your indescribable Gift, Jesus Christ our Lord! Your giving and extreme generosity inspires me to also bless others. Thank You for teaching me to trust you through this teaching on sowing and reaping. I am learning to joyfully sow and trust You for the promised harvest of righteousness, bread for my family, and more seed to sow! Let the harvest overflow with thanksgiving!
Jeremiah 1:11-12 “And the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond branch.” Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My Word to perform it.””
Learning contentment
Scripture reading for June 4th: Philippians 4
Key Scriptures: Philippians 4:10-13 “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me.”
Paul was in jail in Rome and had to supply his own needs through the generosity of his friends and the church. The Philippians had sent an offering that helped him and he explained to them how he rejoiced in the gifts and in the fruit that they would enjoy from giving. For his own needs, he explained that he had learned how to be content with God’s provision. Sometimes he was in want and sometimes he had abundance. But in every situation, he knew that he could do all things needed through Christ Jesus Who alone gave him his strength and supplied his needs.
Philippians 4:18 “I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Ephaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, continue to help me learn how to be content with You as the source of all my wants and needs. Help me to be generous with God’s ministers who are in need, giving as You direct and pleasing You, trusting You to supply all my needs!
Philippians 4:29-30 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Give and God will supply!
Scripture reading for September 5th: Philippians 4, Psalm 28, Proverbs 24
Key Scriptures: Philippians 4:17-20 “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Paul closed his letter to the Philippians thanking them for sharing and sending offerings to help him. They were one of the only churches to do so at this time. He had received their gift and expressed his thanks, stating that they were “a fragrant offering” and they pleased God as well. He also shared that their gifts would increase the fruit of souls won and reached and that would also credit to their account. In turn, they could count on God meeting all their needs through Christ’s unfathomable riches! Amen!
Faith Confession: I choose to be generous and give to the work of our Lord, tithes and offerings. I am thankful for fruit that will bring glory to our Lord Jesus. My God will supply all my needs if I am generous towards His kingdom.
Proverbs 24:3-4 “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”
The year of Jubilee!
Scripture reading for February 10: Leviticus 24-27
In our culture, Golden anniversaries are special. When a couple has been together 50 years there is always a celebration! God also uses the 50th year as a special year, calling it the year of Jubilee! It was a year of freedom and restoration for all of God’s people. On the 50th year, debts were to be forgiven and property that was taken or bought from the original owner was restored. On this year, no one was to work the land. The land would be left to rest and whatever grew without any human effort was to be used for food for the people. It was a blessed time that the people looked forward to. It pictured the reign of Messiah, when he would come and restore the fortunes and possessions of his people and vanquish their enemies.
The Jubilee was the culmination of 7 periods of 7 years. After 6 years, the Israelites were to rest their land for a year. God promised to provide enough for them in the 6th year to carry them through until the harvest of the 8th year. There were to be 7 cycles of 7 years and following the 49th year, on the Day of Atonement, the priests were to sound the trumpet and announce the beginning of the Year of Jubilee! (Leviticus 25:8-10) What a joyous occasion! God giving us a picture of his amazing restoration and rule of grace!
The problem was that the Israelites never took the Sabbath years every 7th year and they never did have a Year of Jubilee. They knew about it because of Leviticus but failed to do what God asked. When we fail to obey, God always has His way. The Israelites went for 7o years of captivity in Babylon so that the land where they had lived and neglected God’s command could have it’s rest! (2nd Chronicles 36:20-21)
In the New Testament we find the Jubilee in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 4, verses 18-19. Jesus announced his calling and ministry by reading from Isaiah 61:1-2. The proclamation of the “year of the Lord’s favor” was a reference to “Jubilee”! Jesus is our Jubilee! In Him, we have restoration and a return of our stolen property. God wants us to find our food, fulfillment, and blessing from His grace, not our own efforts! Jubilee is a picture of Jesus’ provision for every person who trusts in Him by faith!