But this I say:
He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart,
not grudgingly or of necessity;
for God loves a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you,
that you, always having all sufficiency in all things,
may have an abundance for every good work.
(2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
LORD Jesus, we praise You for the abundance that You give us on a daily basis. Forgive us, O God we pray, whenever we fail to see how rich we are in Christ Jesus! Help us to focus on the indescribable Gift. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen
“Reflect His Generosity,” the preacher told us four weeks ago, and until now, his words still echo in my mind.
It happened almost two years ago that our landlords told us that they decided to sell the house. We were forced to find another dwelling place, and that was not easy. We were desperate to not only find an affordable, but also another house that we could call home. During the many ups and downs, our friends—a couple in our church—offered us a room in their house. Imagine, they were even willing to share their own bathroom (there is only one in their home) with us.
The apartment we are living in currently is all but ideal. We managed the first winter, but the last was a disaster—for many reasons. It happened only recently that a good friend in our church offered us a beautiful bedroom en-suite in her home. Sadly, for some reason, we had to reject her offer. But, imagine, she was willing to provide the bedroom for us and without taking any money from us. She would have gone so far as to let us bring our dogs along, even though she is no doggy person at all.
While living in this apartment, we received two more offers from two women who were willing to share their washing machines, dryers, and even their bathrooms with us. One of them even told me to bring my laundry along when coming to the Bible study; she would take it home with her, wash and dry and fold it, and bring it back to me within a few days. What an offer!
Then there is this friend in our church who offered to share a piece of his land with us, for us to place a mobile home on it. Well, in Ireland, one does need planning permission to do so, but that would be no hindrance for God to work, of course.
The words of the preacher come back to mind, “Reflect His Generosity.” You might not have a lot of money. That is not relevant, dear friend. You might not have a big house or spare rooms to let to others. Also, this is not significant. The things you are willing to share with the needy might not work out for them. Again, that is not important. What matters to God is that you are a cheerful giver.
How can you reflect God’s generosity today?