https://esv.literalword.com/?q=2+corinthians+9
Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Wednesday, 3 July 2024:
2 Corinthians 9:2-4 — I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident.
Are you ready? It is one thing to boast about readiness, and it is another thing to really be ready. Readiness is an investment and sacrifice made well in advance of when it is needed but only really proven at the moment of need. In some ways readiness is like insurance; if you don’t have it when you need it, it is too late to get it. Readiness is also perishable – it degrades if you don’t maintain it, and when you use it, it must be restored. For example, if you invest in self-defense training, you may never use it, so some might feel it to be a waste of valuable time, energy, and effort. If you don’t keep training when there is no risk of attack, your skills will atrophy and the time previously invested to be ready for a fight would have been wasted, and if you need to defend yourself, chances are you won’t be ready for another attacked for a period of time as you recover, mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Similarly, if you are saving to be ready for a potential financial crisis, you can’t start getting ready the moment the crisis hits, and whatever you invested to get ready will eventually be expended, and readiness will have to be reacquired. Being ready is a commitment which isn’t made easily because it is costly and questionable – is it worth it? Readiness is a test of character.
In these verses, Paul is talking about the readiness of the people of Achaia to give, not just their willingness to give, but their readiness to give. Paul had boasted about their readiness, but that readiness was going to be put to the test, and Paul encouraged them to really be ready so they would not be humiliated. This readiness of Achaia was a fulfillment of the Great Commandment and revealed what Kingdom living looks like within the body of Christ. What did this sort of readiness require? First, it required a commitment to give (You shall love the Lord your God (and others) with all your heart); it required a plan to give (you shall love the Lord your God (and others) with all your mind); and it required physical resources and physical acts involved in giving (you shall love the Lord your God (and others) will all your strength); and it requires needy people ready to receive (and you shall love your neighbor as yourself). Jesus said giving (and forgiving) was the ultimate proof of saving faith, not the path but the proof. Are you ready to give? If you have already given yourself to the One who gave Himself for you, then, you will not only be ready to give, your giving will be continuously flowing out of you from the abundance of provision with which God will continuously provide you.
- Matthew 25:31-46 — “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
- John 7:38 – “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
“And your zeal has stirred up most of them.” Has your zeal for radical giving and forgiving inspired others to do the same? If not, why not? What is holding you back? Do you think God doesn’t want you to give and forgive radically? Do you think God won’t provide for you and protect you if you do it? Do you love others has God loves you (and them)? Meditate and pray on this….
2 Corinthians 9:6 – The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
“You are called to be intentional about your Christianity. You must be determined to experience the fullness of God in every area of your Christian life and never to settle for a shallow, lackadaisical relationship with almighty God. God will bless you according to how you respond to His invitations. If He finds in you a generous heart that willingly and freely gives what it has to others, then God responds toward you in like manner.
When the apostle Paul encouraged the believers in Corinth to help the Christians in Jerusalem, he promised them that if they would sow generously, they would reap a generous return from God.
This truth holds life-changing potential for us. If we invest everything we have in our relationship with God, we will experience the full dimensions of being children of God. If our desire is to know God more intimately, and if we spend ample time studying His word, God will generously enrich our relationship with Him. If we discipline ourselves to remain in prayer even when praying is difficult, He will reward us with a deeper, more powerful prayer life. If we reconcile any broken relationships and prepare our hearts before worship, and if we participate fully and reverently in every part of worship, God promises that we will meet Him and our lives will be changed.
Why is it that some Christians grow rapidly in their Christian faith and others remain unchanged year after year? Our Christian maturity is deeply affected by what we sow. Let us choose to sow generously in everything we do in our Christian lives. The harvest we reap will be Christlikeness.” (Henry T. Blackaby)
The daily disciplines of discipleship will produce an abundant harvest. If you sow sparingly, you will also reap sparingly. Specifically, this verse applies to giving. Those who give to others position themselves to receive abundantly from the Lord.
2 Corinthians 9:7 — Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
People are motivated to do “good deeds” for many reasons — guilt, fear, pride, duty, etc. Many do the right things for the wrong reasons, and the Bible calls these deeds “filthy rags,” straw that will burnt in the fire. Charitable deeds that are not motivated by genuine love are valued by people but not by God. Seek a heart that gives out of love.
How you view God’s gift of grace to you, the life of His Son Jesus Christ, determines how much of a heart you have for giving to others. Are you truly amazed by God’s grace? Then, are you an amazing giver and forgiver, known for your unreasonable hospitality, generosity, forgiveness, compassion, peace, and joy? How you give and forgive reflect the genuineness of your relationship with God. There are givers, and then there are truly cheerful givers.
“God loves a cheerful giver.” Any questions?
If you find it difficult to give (or forgive), do it anyway, but more importantly, pray that God will help you with your lack of faith, hope, and love, and pray with thankful confidence that He will continue to conform you to the character of Christ.
- 1 John 5:3 — For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
- 1 John 3:17 — But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
- 1 John 1:9 — If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
2 Corinthians 9:8 – And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
Do you have an abundance mentality? God is abundant in His grace. How much grace is God able to make abound to you? “All grace”! The grace God gives you is sufficient under what circumstances? “In all things at all times”! Why does God provide you all grace? So you may abound in every good work. Not that you can abound in everything, just in what He intends for you – good works. If God called you to do it, nothing can stop you.
“When you relate to God you always deal with abundance, for God does nothing in half measures! This is true regarding His grace. The Lord is not miserly when it comes to providing grace to His servants. When you seek to perform a good work that God has asked you to do, you will always find an ample supply of God’s grace to sustain you. If you begin to lose heart in the work you are doing, God’s grace upholds you and gives you the love for God and His people you require in order to continue. When you face criticism and are misunderstood, God’s grace enables you to forgive your accusers and to sense God’s pleasure even when others do not understand what you are doing. When you make mistakes in the work God has appointed you to do, God’s grace forgives you, sets you back on your feet, and gives you strength to continue the work. When you complete the task God gave you and no one expresses thanks for what you have done, the Father’s grace surrounds you, and He reminds you that you have a heavenly reward where everything you have done in the Lord’s service will be remembered.
God does not promise to provide all you need for your dreams and projects. He does assure you that, for every good work you attempt, you will never face a shortfall of His grace in order to successfully complete the task God has given you.” (Henry T. Blackaby)
2 Corinthians 9:13 – …they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ.
The quality of our lives will be measured by how much we spread the gospel and how much we cared for the needs of others in the Name of Jesus from a heart of genuine love.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 3 July 2024: Let nothing stop you today from obeying God and fulfilling your calling as Christ’s ambassador to the people around you. (Deuteronomy 4) Pray that God will make you a more cheerful giver and forgiver. Give to others today as an act of gratitude for what God has given you; give to others the way you want God to give to you. (2 Corinthians 9:6, 7)
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 