« Stewardship Devotional
Day Sixteen - Outpouring of Grace
2 Corinthians 9:6 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”
Read
Corinthians 9:6-10
Apply
God promises that he will pour out even more abundant grace into our lives to the degree that we commit to him. This certainly does not mean that God pays us back. If we give $100 he may not give us $1,000 back, as some people have misunderstood passages like this to mean. But in every instance he gives us (individually and as the church community) something even more precious. Himself. Giving builds your relationship with God because, as we’ve seen already, it builds hope, trust, belief, and commitment to him. The real gain is a closer walk with Jesus Christ, a greater union of your life with his.
Paul also states the converse: whenever Christians, individually or together, hold back, they damage their relationship with Christ. They act without courage; they deny his goodness.
- The idea of ‘sowing and reaping’ is common in Scripture. Where else does it apply?
- Do you give because you are motivated that God will reward you in this life somehow? Or does something else motivate your giving?
- If you were generous, but your financial situation stayed the same (or became even worse), would you stop trusting God? Why or why not?
Pray
For a renewed church that sows generously, with abandon. Do To sow generously implies giving until it actually lowers our current lifestyle. What would it take to lower your lifestyle?
Copyright 1997. Redeemer Presbyterian Church of New York City