2 Corinthians 9 : 5

2 Corinthians 9 : 5

Verses 1-4 Paul sets the mark and makes the point that the church of Corinth should make a point of Ministering to the saints or supporting the saints. He thought so much of this attribute in their church life that he sent brothers ahead of him to see if they were doing as they should be and to help them prepare for when he arrived so that he would not be disappointed in their willingness to give.

Today we are looking at verse 5 . I don't want to rush this because I really think there is alot we rush through and the Lord has just convicted me, yet again, that if I am to truly hide this Word in my heart I must spend more time applying it to my life! So, let us dig and see what the Lord has for us today!

9:5 -" So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, that the same might be ready as a bountiful gift, and not affected by covetousness."
I wondered for a day over this passage and there were 2 things that stuck out to me and made me ask these quesitons:
1. Am I ready to give of my bounty;where there is need?
2. My giving should not be affected by covetiousness
a. We should guard against taking advantage of the gift or boastin in the support you've received or given.

How then ladies do we apply this verse to our lives and live it out in the day to day? Well, today my prayer is that if you see a need ,in the body or even among the poor or those in need, I pray that you will give from where you have been given bountifully. Giving without any expectation of getting back.

Let me just share a short story with you~

We have some friends who live in Malaysia, a couple whom we love and have a great friendship with, they shared that he was having kidney problems and that they needed to get a piece of equipment from Canada but didn't have a way to get the money which had to be in USD sent to this company. They asked if we had the funds to send to them and at the time we did. Dwayne and I talked about it because it was over 2,000.00 . We had just sold a piece of property we owned and so we had been blessed and felt yes, we could help them in their time of need. Just before I sent the wire I told Dwayne, we send this not expecting anything back, right? And his response was, yes. So we sent the money. They had insisted that they would pay it back and we would have taken it if they had it to give back. However, when we sent the money we knew there was a chance that we may not see it again.

The lord brought this event back to my mind as I was reading this scripture. Because in my mind I was saying one thing but when it came down to the line I wasn't so happy that they weren't able to pay it back. I was convicted and the Lord dealt with me on this issue of He has graciously provided for us 'Bountifully' and so also should we then give without covetiousness from that bountiful gift.

So, ladies, this week I do pray that we would all be mindful of those around us who are in need and that we would evaluate and look to see from our own bounty if we have it to give then we ought to give! I know in our "material" world there are some who say that is just not being a good steward. But what the Lord reminded me in bringing back that story is that, the property sold for the price we had prayed it would. It wasn't even ours to begin with if we truly do live by the principle that we do not store for ourselves treasures here on earth but rather in the heavenly. Or as Matt. 6:21" for where your treasure is there will your heart be also."
We ought to live as though what we have been given is meant to be given!

Lord , I just want to say how thankful I am that you have blessed our family with so much bounty. We want for nothing, need nothing and yet we still grumble. I confess my covetious heart and repent and I pray that I would be reminded daily of how you so Graciously provide for us and give so that we might give then to others. Lord, I pray for my sisters that they would also would be able to grow in the area of "supporting the saints" and learn to minister to the saints. That they would not do it undercompulsion but willingly and without covetiousness.

I pray we would be reminded all through the day of the Bountiful Gifts we have been given!

Lord, thank you for saving us, calling us out and giving us purpose!
It is in Your Name I pray!
The name of Jesus!
Amen