GOD Morning! September 16 / How to Have it ALL!

GOD Morning! September 16

How to Have it ALL!

^{2 Cor. 9:6-15 amp}

⁶ Now [remember] this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to others] will also reap generously [and be blessed]. 

If we could just get this. When we seek to please ourselves, we reap very little. Nothing, in fact. When we seek to please others, we will reap blessing after blessing after blessing!

⁷ Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift]. 

Want to be truly loved by God? Give cheerfully. Seriously. If you see a need and give cheerfully out of your own personal resources to fill the need, God is smiling on you!

⁸ And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity. 

What??? Read verse 8 again. This is a promise. Right in the Bible. For YOU. And ME.

EVERY favor and earthly blessing.

Most of the time, I completely forget about this promise in my feeble attempt to serve God and others. Forgetting that He is able to make EVERY favor and earthly (we are not talking about heaven right now) blessing come to ME. If I simply give cheerfully out of my personal resources to help someone else! My giving will not go unnoticed by my heavenly Father.

So that I may ALWAYS, under ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, REGARDLESS of my need. Wow.

Have COMPLETE SUFFICIENCY in EVERYTHING. Completely self sufficient in Him.

Oh, there’s more??? Plus, I will have an ABUNDANCE for EVERY good work and act of charity.

⁹ As it is written and forever remains written,

“He [the benevolent and generous person] scattered abroad, he gave to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever!”

Here’s the way the Message translation reads…

“He throws caution to the winds,
    giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
His right-living, right-giving ways
    never run out, never wear out.” 2 Cor. 9:9

God I want to live like this. I want to give like this. I want to throw caution to the wind. I will NEVER run out and NEVER wear out!!!

Wow, I am amazed at how You speak to me every morning, if I rise early and seek Your wisdom.

¹⁰ Now He who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed for sowing [that is, your resources] and increase the harvest of your righteousness [which shows itself in active goodness, kindness, and love]. 

And I don’t have to worry about running out of resources. You will provide and multiply! I provide the active (as in not sitting on the couch and thinking kind thoughts) goodness, kindness and love. You provide the resources. Just wow.

¹¹ You will be enriched in every way so that you may be generous, and this [generosity, administered] through us is producing thanksgiving to God [from those who benefit]. 

I will be enriched in EVERY way. So that I can keep on being generous.

¹² For the ministry of this service (offering) is not only supplying the needs of the saints (God’s people), but is also overflowing through many expressions of thanksgiving to God. 

This is not just about God’s people, this shows my thanksgiving to God as well!

¹³ Because of this act of ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to the gospel of Christ which you confess, as well as for your generous participation [in this gift] for them and for all [the other believers in need], ¹⁴ and they also long for you while they pray on your behalf, because of the surpassing measure of God’s grace [His undeserved favor, mercy, and blessing which is revealed] in you.

My active, obedient and generous goodness, kindness and love will produce prayers for me! Because I am showing God’s favor to others. So I will personally reap benefits because of my cheerful giving. The blessings keep coming my way!

 ¹⁵ Now thanks be to God for His indescribable gift [which is precious beyond words]!

Steps of action:

I am going to volunteer at the Boys and Girls club again. The volunteer form is sitting on my desk!

My friend wants to start a Saturday morning “Kids for Christ” club. She will serve cereal and milk to the children in the complex where she lives. I am so excited to join her.

I want to start Family Night again on Allied Drive. We switched to Sunday Services which are great, but I miss family night where we served potluck style food along with Bible classes.

“Thanks, God! For Your gift of compassion. Active compassion. What a blessing it is to give and give and give. I have given a little. But not nearly enough. I want my lifestyle to be about giving. I want to change. And I WILL change. I MUST. I am not content where I am. You are tugging at my heart this morning. Thanks for not giving up on me. You are so incredible. How I love You, Jesus, AMEN.”