Day #328
Scripture Reading: II Corinthians 9 - 10 ...
Paul commends the believers at Corinth for their “eagerness to help” (9:2) as he
encourages them to get prepared to give an offering for their fellow believers
who are in need. Sadly, some have taken
the words of Paul in Chapter 9 and developed an entire "theology"
around the idea that if you "sow seed into the kingdom," meaning,
MONEY, God will give you more MONEY back. There are so many things wrong
with that interpretation that it's hard to know where to begin, but what is
important is this: Your life and mine were intended to be about God and
His glory. Anything that makes people look at US must cause us to point
out that it is NOT us, it is GOD who is the Giver. This is the intention of Paul's words,
inspired by the Spirit of God, in these chapters.
It is true that Paul was strongly encouraging them
to be generous; and it is also true that God was speaking through Paul when he
wrote, "whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and
whoever sows generously will also reap generously" (9:6).
Obviously, he was speaking about giving an offering, but it was not ONLY
money that he was talking about. Remember what he said in chapter 8,
verse 12: "For if the willingness is there, the gift is
acceptable according to what one HAS, not according to what he does NOT
have." Thus the instruction that "each man should
give what he has decided in his HEART to give, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (9:7-8).
God doesn't NEED your gifts and mine. WE need to give more than God needs to
receive. We need to learn that all we have is God's and if we don't use
it for Him we are missing an opportunity to testify that we are assured that HE
will provide what WE need. If we hold back, we are trusting in ourselves,
in our things, and by doing so we are missing GOD!! So Paul adds, "God
is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times,
having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (9:9). God wants you to see Him as
your Provider so that you will live by faith, whether you have plenty or
little.
He goes on in verse 10: "He who
supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase
your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every
occasion and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to
God!" (9:10-11). Did you hear that?? Your giving will
result in thanksgiving to GOD! He says the same again in verse 12 and
again in verse 13 and again in verse 15. People will give thanks to God,
they will praise God, and they will give thanks WITH us for God's "indescribable
gift" (9:15). God's indescribable gift is His constant and
amazing grace ... grace that opens our eyes and opens our hearts and opens our
hands ... grace that brings freedom from the bondage that enslaves so many.
It's called HOARDING and it KILLS people, from the inside out.
God gave His SON that we might live in His presence
and enjoy His goodness now and forever. He wants us to share in the joy
of giving. Our "harvest of
righteousness" is being what God calls us to be and doing what
God calls us to do! In Acts 3 Peter and
John see a beggar who wants money from them. Peter says, "Silver
and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the Name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!" (Acts 3:6). Sometimes
giving people money is the appropriate thing to do. At other times
helping them get on their feet, get a job, and change their lives is better.
But at all times pointing them to the God from whom every good and
perfect gift comes is essential. Everybody needs Christ! This is why Paul goes on in Chapter 10 to boldly
defend his ministry.
There were those who were speaking against Paul and
his companions, questioning the fruitfulness of their ministry. What were
they looking for? Were they counting numbers, there weren't that many.
Did they think the lives of the people were not being improved?
That wasn't the most important thing. Some today proclaim a message
of prosperity and promise physical healing and a better life. God has
promised to be with us, yet He has told us that life will not always be easy.
Paul boldly declares that we do not live by the standards of the world
(10:3). We don't measure "success" with the same
yardstick. It is our goal to set people
FREE from the spiritual bondage of sin!
"For though we live in the world, we do not
wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons
of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish
strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself
up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it
obedient to Christ" (10:3-4).
This ministry, this life ... your life and mine, is
about knowing Christ, loving Christ and serving Christ, for the glory of
God. It’s not about an easy life or
about possessions. Paul was not concerned
about what other people said about him ... only what GOD said about him. "For
it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the
Lord commends” (10:18). You may be able to convince yourself that you
are doing what you should and others may come along and boast about you and
make you feel good, but all of that may actually lead you away from God. Any
time you or I seek glory for ourselves, we are stealing from God. "Let
him who boasts, boast in the Lord" (10:17).
Life, REAL life, is all about God. I am here
to serve Him. He took upon Himself a human nature, going to the cross to
save me from myself. I need Him and by the power of His Spirit I am born
again and through faith in Jesus Christ I have a new life!! And now my new
life ... is all about God!!
"My Father in heaven, all that I have is a
gift from you. Lord, help me to use my life to glorify You. I thank
You, Father, for the gift of Your Son and for Your amazing grace that brings me
into Your presence and gives me LIFE, eternal life with You in the glory of the
new heaven and earth. Tear my heart away from anything in this world that
pulls me away from You, so that I may find my joy in GIVING, as YOU have given
to me. In Jesus' name, Amen"
