Generosity and Outreach

This devotion is written in the “SOAP” format.

SCRIPTURE

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 NIV
⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

⁸ And 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 As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” ¹⁰ Now 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. ¹¹ 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. ¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. ¹³ Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.¹⁴ And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

OBSERVATION

After laying a foundation for planned and organized giving Paul speaks about an indescribable gift in “grace”.  He relates grace to provision and wealth.

If God supplies man with the seed needed to produce a harvest of grain, and thus food he certainly will supply and multiply all the resources  needed to produce a full harvest of good deeds.

God continues to enrich the benevolent person so that he can go on enriching others by his generosity. The greater the giving, the greater the enrichment. The greater the enrichment, the greater the resources to give. Then the Jerusalem saints, as the grateful recipients of the Corinthians’ liberal gift administered by Paul and his colleagues, would express their thanks to God, the source of all good gifts. Liberality is thus seen to be a gracious act that prompts thanksgiving to God.

2 Cor. 9:14 There are still other results of generosity. Paul is convinced the giving will be reciprocal. The Jerusalem believers will receive material benefits and in return will dispense the spiritual blessing of intercession for the Corinthians.  As they pray, they will recall “the surpassing grace” imparted to the Corinthians by God and evident in their sacrificial liberality; as a result, their hearts will be warmed towards those at Corinth and they will long to see them and enjoy a closer relation with them.

2 Cor 9:15 Since the gift is said to be given by God and beyond adequate human description, it must refer secondarily to the surpassing grace that God imparts and primarily to the Father’s gift of the Son.

APPLICATION

        Paul suggests that giving has a reciprocal effect when we give in such a way as to produce:

1. Generosity in the recipients
2. Thanksgiving in prayers
3. God’s blessing in provision
4. Spiritual blessing to the recipients
5. Generate praise to God for our obedience to the confession of faith we have in Jesus.

        This is the basis for our outreach.  Server others so that the community is grateful that we are in the community.

PRAYER

        Dear Lord:

Thank you for the wisdom that starts with generosity.