December 05, 2022
God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:8)
It’s universally true that we love people who love what we love. If we enjoy sports, we’re taken by others who also do. We enjoy their company, for we share a mutual affection. If we find those who love our children or grandchildren, we appreciate their affection for those we love.
God is perfect in generosity. We do not normally think of Him this way, but it is entirely accurate. He gives with absolute joy and unending pleasure. Because of this, His heart is filled with affection for those who are joyful givers also.
THE GENEROSITY LOOP
God is so moved by a cheerful human giver that He makes an unparalleled promise.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. Now 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 everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:8-11)
God owns everything. There is nothing you have that does not belong to Him. It came from Him and will return to Him. It is on loan to you momentarily as a stewardship.
Because of His inherent generous character, He wants His things in circulation to bless you, bless others, and bring glory to Him. He has deep purposes in your giving, far beyond what you can realize.
Your giving is a loop that blesses everyone in its path.
He gives to you (“every good and perfect gift is from above, from the Father of lights. James 1:17). In like manner, He desires for you, at His prompting, to give to others. Your God-led generosity blesses them, and they give thanks to God, completing the loop. In the process, everyone is blessed! God desires this cycle to be repeated over and over again, thousands of times throughout your life.
A NEVER-ENDING SUPPLY
God has everything to gain by this exchange. If you will cooperate with Him in this generosity process, He promises to continue to give to you, not only to meet your needs but to supply an “abundance for every good deed.” He will give above your needs so you can give to others. There is no other way to interpret this Scripture, which is an extraordinary display of the Father’s liberality.
CONSIDER OUR GENEROUS GOD
Pause and think of this for a moment. Meditate on the extraordinary character of our Great God. But He is not miserly with all that is His. He longs to give to you and others with extreme abandon. The giving of His Son for sinful men is the supreme example.
He loves to give. And He delights in you as you display His nature to a watching world. It makes Him glad when you give as He gives. God-initiated liberality gives the world a right opinion of Him.
There is someone today who needs to see God through your giving. As He instructs you in the Word and spontaneously prompts you by His Spirit, GIVE! You will hear heaven's applause and feel your Father's delight.
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