February 5: God’s abundance

My point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work. Just as it is written, “He has scattered widely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness remains forever.”  (2 Corinthians 9:6-9, 11 HCSV)

There’s an abundance of promises clustered together in these few verses. The subject of course is giving to God. If we give little, we will receive little in return, but if we give generously, we will receive generously from Him. Giving is less about the physical act than it is about the state of our heart—our mindset, who we worship. 

Monetary value does not concern God as much as the sincere desire of every giver to be: 1. Generous, 2. Trusting, and 3. Cheerful. 

In return He promises to: 1. Make all grace overflow to us, 2. See that we have enough of everything in every way at all times, and 3. Overflow in every good work.  

God wants us to give the best we can with faith and a happy heart, and then He promises to provide for us in every way. Doesn’t it sound like we get the better end of the deal?  

There are, and will always be complainers in and out of church, when it comes to giving to God. They may pretend to be knowledgeable about God, but in fact they know very little of God’s character and their complaints prove that they don’t believe in God’s love.  They choose to see offerings, tithes and sacrifices, as a selfish scheme to extort people’s hard earned salaries, and totally dismiss the promises of blessings that come to those who give generously and cheerfully. Though they may give out a sense of obligation, their hearts are darkened with greed, and so what they give has lost it’s power to bless them back.

God doesn’t proclaim His blessings lightly.  What He says He fulfills, but we always have our part in the process.  If we say we surrender our lives to God but then begrudge Him a few offerings, we have to ask if we ever gave our lives to Him in the first place.  Giving is about trust, about taking a risk to believe that His promises are true.  For God, our trust in Him is worth more than all the wealth in the world.