Giving Glory & Honor…

Make Arrangements for Abounding Grace…2 Corinthians 9:5-8

“Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.  But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”

The Apostle Paul writes to the believers in this his second letter to the church at Corinth exhorting them to finish what they started with regard to helping the people at Jerusalem.  In this part of the text we see that he has sent brothers to help them with some final arrangements.  As if he knew that they were in a state of immaturity, being perplexed with a decision they had made approximately a year prior to the writing of this letter to do an enormous work, Paul sent helpers.  It is of vital necessity that we help one another or that more hands be employed for the prospect of doing more for somebody else as well as for the purpose of keeping ourselves accountable to what we pledge to do for others.

The initiative for those at Corinth was to sow into the lives of people in Jerusalem; however, little did they know that in doing so an abundance of God’s unmerited favor (His Abounding Grace) awaited them.  The lesson here is to always finish what you start; remembering that in most cases it is the finish that totally validates the beginning. Another point to note is to do what ever you do for others with a willing attitude, for God loves a cheerful giver.  Lastly, take pleasure in being a blessing to others, because in so doing you will have positioned yourself to receive an un-quantifiable measure of God’s Grace.

The City of Hartford