From the Archives…….
Always Abounding
Years ago a woman in ministry gave me a scripture and said that God had said that was my scripture. I prayed it over myself for many years and have always kept it highlighted in my Bible. It is found in 2 Corinthians 9:8 and it says; “and God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have abundance for every good work.”
As we sometimes do, I took this scripture as my own and didn’t really read around it. Oh, I have read the rest of this chapter in 2 Corinthians, many, many times but it was today that God showed me why He gave me this scripture over twenty years ago.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a giver, I love to give, and it’s simply how I live. Many Christians are offended at teachings on giving, I never was – I knew from the beginning that it was God’s principle and His way to abundance.
Let me share a little more of these scriptures with you; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 says; “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 abundance for every good work.”
Aha. So I clearly see why God gave me this scripture so many years ago. In order for me, personally, to have sufficiency in all things and to abound in every good work, I must be a bountiful and cheerful giver.
Today, God dealt with me about giving a large amount of money to someone, but let me go back a few years. Years ago when God first taught me about giving I gave small amounts but I gave consistently. Since I was born again, I have been a faithful tither – I knew the truth when I saw it, tithing was automatic for me, but giving above my tithe was gradual. As I said, at first I gave small amounts, and then I was able to give larger amounts.
In the beginning of my giving, I used to expect an immediate harvest and sometimes I would get it but mostly I have found that I simply increased and was able to give more. In the beginning I also used to question God a lot. The why’s and when’s must have gotten weary in God’s ears. Another thing I used to do was get frustrated when God would tell me to give and I didn’t get an immediate response…I’m simply not that way anymore. As I was thinking about it today I realized that there was a point where I simply began to give for one reason, because God told me to. I no longer ask questions, or complain or get frustrated, I simply give. I give knowing His word is truth, knowing I will abound, knowing when I give cheerfully and bountifully that somehow it will come back to me…God is not mocked, what I sow, I will definitely reap.
As I was pondering all this today I decided to do a little word search. The word grudgingly means to give with sorrow, heaviness, grief and annoyance. It also is referring to a person who mourns at their giving.
A cheerful giver is described as a joyous giver, and one who is prompted to give. God wants us to give because we are like Him and He is the ultimate giver. God wants us to give out of love and a prompting by Him. God wants us to give bountifully. Today, when God prompted me to give, it was a large amount and frankly caused me to take a deep breath however, this I know and am fully convinced of God is not a man that He should lie – if I do what He says, He will do what He says He will do in His word.
I know and fully believe that God is not trying to get something from me, but is desiring to get something to me and that something will come through my giving. Will it come today? Or tomorrow? I don’t know – but I do know it will come as I give bountifully, cheerfully and without mourning about the money. I also know that the money I am giving will meet a need that needs to be met; this is how it works in the Kingdom of God – what I do for others God will do for me.
There is a principle found in God that will enable us to abound and have all sufficiency…it is found in our giving…when we get that, believe it and walk in it, things will begin to change…they have to…we have His word on it.
