December 3 Click on verses for Full Scripture

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Today's Pathway: II Corinthians 9:5-7 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Yesterday we concluded with Paul explaining that he had sent men ahead to make sure that the Corinthians completed the task of taking up the collection. These men, according to verse 5, were to assist the church in gathering the offering ahead of time so that it would be ready when it was time to send it to Jerusalem. He writes that he had done this so that the offering should be "of bounty, and not as of covetousness". The word translated "bounty" is the word from which we get our English word "eulogy". It means "to speak well", or in other words, to be a blessing. Paul wants this offering to not only be a blessing to the saints in Jerusalem who receive it, but also to the Corinthians who give it. He does not want it to be given in a covetous way, which would mean that the Corinthians begrudge having to do it. He doesn't want them to be forced into it. He wants them to do it because they want to do it. Bruce Hurt wrote,

"If the brethren should arrive and find the collection incomplete, Paul did not want the Corinthians scampering around at the last minute trying to put it together as if they were now being forced or pressured to do it. Paul wanted their gift to be a response to God's grace working in their hearts and giving them a willing spirit, not because he had extorted them or forced them to give grudgingly."

In verse 6 Paul teaches a principle: a man will always reap in the same manner in which he has sowed. If a farmer plants only a few seeds in his field, he will reap a very small crop. However, if he sows many seeds over a vast acreage he will reap a very large crop. The point is this: if the Corinthians give graciously and bountifully to this offering, God will bless them accordingly. If they do as little as they think they can get away with, they will receive very little back from the Lord. Dave Guzik wrote:

"What do we reap when we give? We reap blessings that are both material and spiritual. Materially, we can trust that God will provide for the giving heart. The promise of Philippians 4:19 (But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus) is made in the context of the generous hearts of the Philippians (Philippians 4:15-18). If we give to God, He will give to us materially. Spiritually, we can trust that God will reward the giving heart both now and in eternity. Jesus spoke to this in Matthew 19:29:

'And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.'

Jesus obviously did not mean that we would receive a hundred houses if we gave up our house for Him. But He did mean that we are never the losers when we give to God. The Lord can never be in debt to any man, and we should never be afraid of giving God 'too much.' Spiritually or materially, you can’t out-give God."

In verse 7 Paul points out the importance of the heart attitude in giving. The Corinthians were to donate based upon what they wanted to do in their hearts. The tense of the verb "purposeth" indicates that the giver has made the decision at a point in time in the past and it is still in the person's heart. The gift was not made based on a sudden impulse or as a result of guilt or coercion ("necessity"). Paul finishes this verse by writing that "God loveth a cheerful giver". The word translated "cheerful" is the root for our English word "hilarious". God loves the man who gives because he wants to give; the man who gives of his funds, and of himself, with a good spirit out of a good heart.

What kind of giver are you?