‘That you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.’ 2 Corinthians 9:8 NKJV
God doesn’t just love; He lavishes love on us (see 1 John 3:1 NIV). He doesn’t give out wisdom; He ‘gives generously to all without finding fault.’ (James 1:5 NIV) The Prodigal Son got the fatted calf, the guests at the wedding in Cana got the best wine, and Peter caught so many fish that his boat started to sink.
Paul tells us God ‘supplies seed to the sower’ (2 Corinthians 9:10 NKJV), and the Greek word for ‘supplies’ comes from two roots. The first means ‘to dance’, and the second means ‘to lead’. It literally means ‘to lead a dance’. So when God gives to you, He dances for joy. He gets the band together and leads the giving parade. He loves to give!
One day Peter said to Jesus, ‘We have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?’ (Matthew 19:27 NKJV) Seems like a good opportunity for Jesus to chastise Peter’s ‘what’s in it for me?’ mentality. But He didn’t. Instead, He assured Peter that we shall receive a hundredfold in this life and inherit eternal life too (see Matthew 19:29). Jesus promises a gain of 10,000%!
If someone gave you a $100 today for every dollar you gave them yesterday, you might call that person ‘God-generous’. God dispenses His goodness not with an eyedropper, but with a fire hose; not with a teacup, but with the Pacific Ocean. You simply can’t contain it. So let it bubble over. Spill out. Pour forth. ‘Freely you have received; freely give.’ (Matthew 10:8 NIV)
SoulFood: Is 58–62, Matt 12:22–37, Ps 108, Pr 3:31–32
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©