Blessed: Given to Give - April 18

Read 2 Corinthians 9:8-11

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, ‘He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ 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.

Reflect

According to today’s passage of Scripture, why does God replenish our resources when we give freely and cheerfully? What is the purpose of our “enrichment”?

Blessed. I’ve seen this word on coffee mugs, throw pillows, decorative signs, bumper stickers, T-shirts, and as a hashtag on social media. Of course, it's true that we are blessed! We owe everything we have and everything we are to God alone!

But it makes me wonder: why do we consider ourselves blessed? Are we claiming to be blessed based on eternal and spiritual gifts or based on material possessions and our fortunate circumstances in this world?

When we go back to the Bible, we see that Scripture includes so much more in its definition of “blessings” than mere material possessions and status in life. If we read the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12 or Luke 6:20-23, we see that Jesus taught that the poor, the hungry, the weeping, the hated, the excluded, the persecuted, and the mocked are considered blessed by Jesus. That doesn’t tend to fit in with our narrow understanding of blessing.

Jesus told us in Luke 12:48, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand more.” If we have a lot, we aren’t blessed so that we can just sit around and enjoy our stuff. Jesus said that if we have much, we have much responsibility.

In today’s passage, the apostle Paul reminded the believers in Corinth that it is God who makes all grace abound because His grace and His resources are infinite. He confirmed that it is true that all we have is from the hand of God. Then, he quoted Psalm 112:9 to support the principle that God will refill and restore what we have freely given away so that we can continue to be generous in every way. In other words, God will continue to provide for us so that we will continue to depend on Him and so that we will continue to live generously.

Paul also noted that God gives the seed to the sower and multiplies that single seed into a bountiful harvest so that the sower can share his harvest to the glory of God. You see, that’s what generous giving is ultimately about—advancing the Kingdom of God for the glory of God. Dr. Wiersbe noted, “Paul was careful to point out that grace giving does not bring credit to us; it brings thanksgiving to God. We are but channels through whom God works to meet the needs of others.”

Friend, we are blessed in a variety of ways, not merely for our own enrichment, but also for the enrichment of others all for the glory of God. Since we are so rich, we also have a responsibility. We have been given so that we can continue to give.

Respond

Lord, I thank and praise You for Your abundant and varied grace. You are more than enough for me! You have blessed and enriched me in every way. Now, help me to be generous in every way. Not for my glory, but for You glory. Amen.

Reveal

Prayerfully reflect on a time when God has replenished you after you’ve been generous to others. Consider sharing your story with another believer, praising God for His continued provision, encouraging each other to live generously, trusting that God will provide.