For today, the verse to study was 2 Corinthians 9:7, which has long been a favorite of mine. It is one that my dad lived by.
S= "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7)
O= Verse 6 notes that the person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will reap bountifully. It's a great lead-in to this verse, reminding Paul's readers that they will be blessed by God if they give generously and cheerfully. Verse 8 reminds that God graciously gives His children sufficiency in all things so that they can abound in good works. Our giving is to be purposeful, cheerful, and not done in a grudging manner.
A= I'm blessed to be a cheerful giver who is married to an even more cheerful giver. We have always given of our money, time and talents to our local church, supported missionaries on our own, and shared funds, time, and material goods with other believers as needs have arisen in their lives. God has always provided over the years. The statement "You can't outgive God" may be thought of as somewhat of a cliche these days, but we have always found it to be true. It is just a joy, a blessing and a privilege to be able to give of ourselves!
P= "Lord, I'm so thankful that You've inclined our hearts to give cheerfully. It's such a joy to be able to share what we have with others! I thank You for Your generous provision of goods and finances that have enabled us to share generously with others. I pray that You will continue to direct our giving as time goes on. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Beautiful words
ReplyDeleteReleasing one's heart from weighing the giving versus the receiving opens life to a better path.
Indeed it really does. I have known a few people who are truly generous, but they get very annoyed it they are not thanked for what they did. I feel that we need to give expecting nothing in return.
DeleteI love this verse also, and I also love that God has given you and your hubby the gift of giving. It is a rare and precious gift, appreciated especially by those who are recipients of God's grace through you. During our years in the ministry we found ourselves often on the receiving end of "cheerful givers", and it helped so much to lighten our load and gave us great encouragement when times were difficult. We try to give as was given to us, and are so thankful as God enables us to do so. "Thank you, for giving to the Lord, I am a life who was changed..." as the song says.
ReplyDeleteThese are lovely thoughts, Pam. Thank you for sharing how it felt to be on the receiving end. We also have been on that end, thanks to generous parents who helped with Christian school tuition and other things. It's our joy to give to others as God has given to us, as you said.
DeleteAmen. And I certainly do not mind the autumnal graphics.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad, Vee. They are still attractive even though out of season.
ReplyDelete