BLESSED GENEROSITY

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in His kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.

For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.

2 Corinthians 8:1-4 (NLT)

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The Lord wants us to be a giving people. There is no question about this and the scriptures declare it. Consider these verses:

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great. Proverbs 18:16

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Proverbs 3:27

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” Matthew 19:21

“...the righteous give generously.” Psalm 37:21

Certainly, there are many more but you get the idea. God blesses us with His provision to not only help us live but He wants us to share what we have with those in need as well. He gives to us in great abundance and He expects us to follow suit in the way we live. The Lord desires that we adopt a spirit of blessed generosity in the way we help others.

As we look at the first four verses of 2 Corinthians, chapter 8, we see the Apostle Paul trying to instill this giving spirit in the church of Corinth and its Christian believers, using other Christian churches as an example. Look again at his words here:

Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in His kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.

For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.  2 Corinthians 8:1-4 (NLT)

To fully understand what was happening, I need to provide a little background, particularly in regard to the “believers in Jerusalem” that Paul mentions were the recipients of the blessed generosity extended by the “churches in Macedonia” which included Thessalonica and Philippi.

You will recall that after Jesus’ crucifixion and Stephen’s stoning, persecution ran rampant in Jerusalem against Christians. Many of the Jesus believers there were pushed into poverty and treated like outcasts. Great hardship and suffering came upon them just because they professed their faith in Jesus as Lord.

Paul was on a campaign to raise funds to help support the Jerusalem Christians and he had solicited all the churches outside of Jerusalem to contribute. We read where the Macedonian believers were "tested by many troubles" and poor as well but this didn't stop the churches from showing rich, blessed generosity. The scriptures tell us that “they gave not only what they could afford, but far more” and did so with “abundant joy”. In fact, the Macedonian believers begged for the privilege to give. Such was their desire to provide for the needs of their brother and sister Christians in Jerusalem.

How could the Macedonian believers adopt such an attitude of blessed generosity?

It comes down to God. He was the One who instigated the work of the Macedonian churches through His kindness and He is the One who has guided believers to give ever since.

One thing’s for sure. When we allow the Lord’s will and way to be our own, then we will be a giving people, a people obedient to our Father’s calling as relayed through His Word and Holy Spirit.

Indeed, God loves a cheerful giver for they are carrying out what He has told them to do to bring blessed generosity to others and glory to His holy name.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com