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2 Corinthians 9:8 - Grace and Giving.2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV) And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV) And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT) And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (AMP) And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity. INTRODUCTION Through his abounding grace God can enable each Christian to abound in generous deeds. [NIV SB 2020] COMMENTARY PEARL Enough! To Old Ways Of Living As dearly loved children of God, it's up to us to shout, "Enough!" to the old ways of living. By faith, we can claim the light of Christ to guide our pathways. We must not settle for second-rate living a second longer. We want to truly live, in Jesus' name. So we "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And [we] run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus" (Hebrews 12:1-2). In time, we learn to do nothing apart from Christ (John 15:5). We abide in Him. We dwell in Him. We stay close to Him because we learn that He is able to make all grace abound to us in every way. We learn that God has given us unlimited resources, everything we need for life and godliness. In Him, we are enriched in every way, so our job is to simply accept the abundance and rely on Him. Dear God, no matter my season or circumstance, You are able to make all grace abound to me so that I can cast off my old ways for Your new power today. [Grace and Glory by Louie Giglio] COMMENTARY All believers are called to generous giving. Those who sow few seeds will have a small harvest, and those who plant generously will reap a large harvest... What you give is between you and God. Paul says each person should decide how much he or she can give. The important thing is not how much we give, but how we give. Give cheerfully! Remember that you have nothing except what God has provided. Be joyful as you give back to him... When you invest what God has given you in the lives and ministries around you, he will use your gifts, no matter how small, to help meet a need. Your attitude should be generous and cheerful, not selfish and grudging. Consider it a joy to have a part in building God's Kingdom! [The One Year Bible for New Believers re 2 Co. 9:6-12] No one has to give. In fact, Paul didn't want any reluctant givers. A person who feels he has to give, or gives grudgingly, shouldn't drop a single coin in the collection plate. God doesn't need the money. And that kind of giving won't bring the giver any blessings at all! But if we want to give - ah, then we reap tremendous blessings. [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary re vv. 6-14] I heard a story about a man who took his son to McDonald's and bought him super-size French fries. On the way home, he reached over and took one little French fry and ate it. His son got upset and said, "Dad, you can't have that. These are my fries!" The dad immediately had three thoughts: "First, my child has forgotten that I am the source of all fries. I took him to McDonald's, I paid for the order, I gave them to him, and I'm driving him back home. The only reason he got any fries was because of me, the Great Fry Giver! "Second, my child doesn't realize I could take the fries away in a second if I wanted to. Or I could buy him an entire truckload of fries if I wanted to, because I have the power to do either. "Third, I didn't need his fries. I could easily get my own. I could buy myself a hundred cartons of them if I wanted to. I just wanted him to learn to be unselfish." Those three lessons are the same ones God wants you to learn so that you can be generous with other people. First, God wants you to remember that he is the source of everything you've got. You would have nothing - you wouldn't even be alive! - if it weren't for God. Second, God could take it all away from you in an instant, or he could double it, because he's got the power. Third, God doesn't need your money. He just wants you to learn to be unselfish and develop your faith. What happens when you start becoming a more generous person? "God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more so that there will not only be enough for your own needs but plenty left over to give joyfully to others" (2 Corinthians 9:8 TLB). If you will practice generosity, God will give you everything you need plus more so you'll have enough to share with other people. He's looking for a channel like a straw, and when he finds it - someone who's willing to say, "God, use me to be a blessing to other people" - he just starts pouring blessing straight through it. If you will learn to be generous, God will bless you more than you can imagine! [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] ILLUSTRATION Trusting God's Provision Our bird feeder provides both great entertainment and timely lessons. One morning, my grandchildren observed a "bully" blue jay that pecked and chased away smaller birds so he could hog the feeder. When the jay is away, several varieties of songbirds will feast happily together. The blue jay, however, wants all the food for himself - plus possibly one bully buddy. One day I put out peanuts for the squirrel, and two jays cleaned out the entire bowl in five minutes, taking turns stashing the nuts in the woods below our house. This isn't the only bully jay I've known. In a previous home, we had a shelf outside the kitchen window on which I scattered seed so I could have an up close and personal look at birds in our yard. The jay took over the shelf. When he finished off the seed, he looked at me through the window with raised (or seemingly so) white brows. He'd tilt his head and glare. I could almost hear his thoughts: "Give me some more." When I didn't oblige, he pecked the window. We shouldn't allow bullying. We need to catch it early and stop it before it becomes a bad habit - or criminal behavior. My grandchildren were upset at the jay's bullying behavior that morning. Since I was busy making sausage and pancakes, I sent my grandson out with a spray bottle that shoots a straight, strong stream of water. My grandson is a very good shot. I could almost hear the songbirds singing praise, and then one by one they returned to feast happily together. The blue jay shows what selfishness looks like. There is plenty of seed for all the birds, but he has an attitude of I don't want a share. I want it all!' But for what purpose? When he and his bully buddy took all the peanuts, they stored their plunder in treasure warehouses in the woods where the peanuts will rot long before they're eaten. That's not unlike many people who put their time and effort into accumulating materiel things that will only lose value and decay. The apostle Paul reminds us that God will provide all that we need. If we know that, we can be content with what we have instead of always seeking more. We can live in generosity instead of selfishness. Just like the chickadees and finches, who take turns on the perches and sometimes feast around the base together. They receive enough, enjoy what was provided, and fly away satisfied. A good lesson for us to learn. Lord God, forgive me for my lack of generosity. I know much of it comes from my fear of not having enough. Please help me to trust completely in Your promise to provide for me physically and emotionally. I don't have to fight for what's mine, because You will give me what I need. Teach me to have open hands and to give generously from what You have given me. [Earth Psalms by Francine Rivers] CLOSING THOUGHT We all know how subtle the materialistic temptations are and how convincing the rationalizations. Only by God's grace and with great effort can we escape the shower of luxuries which has almost suffocated our Christian compassion. All of us face this problem. Some years ago I spent about fifty dollars on an extra suit. That's not much of course. Besides, I persuaded myself, it was a wise investment (thanks to the 75 percent discount). But that money would have fed a starving child in India for about a year. In all honesty we have to ask ourselves: Dare we care at all about current fashions if that means reducing our ability to help hungry neighbors? Dare we care more about obtaining a secure economic future for our family than for living an uncompromisingly Christian lifestyle?... We have been brainwashed to believe that bigger houses, more prosperous businesses, more luxurious gadgets, are worthy goals in life. As a result, we are caught in an absurd, materialistic spiral. The more we make, the more we think we need in order to live decently and respectably. Somehow we have to break this cycle because it makes us sin against our needy brothers and sisters and, therefore, against our Lord. And it also destroys us. Sharing with others is the way to real joy. Ronald Sider [Time With God SB] LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY 2 Corinthians 9:8 - Grace and Giving. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2010/20100907-1511.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |