Contemplation #232
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 2 Corinthians 9:10
Paul says that the way we see God working in the physical world is consistent with the way he works in unseen matters. God is the Provider of both our physical needs and spiritual lives. First, we must be thoroughly convinced that God is the supplier of our daily bread or we have scant confidence in receiving what we need spiritually. Evidently the Corinthians had faith already in God giving seed and bread, and so Paul was able to simply suggest that God would do the same in enlarging their harvest of righteousness. May we begin with a trust in God's power and love to give us our daily bread, and then realize that our daily spiritual food will also be given just as surely.
Contemplation #233
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 2 Corinthians 9:10
The store of seed and harvest of righteousness that Paul speaks of has nothing to do with rewards that come to us for our own good. In this part of the letter Paul is calling on the Corinthian Christians to be generous in giving to help poor believers in Judea. However, the Corinthians are wondering how will we be able to do this? Paul knows that generosity is a spiritual gift that is one aspect of a life of righteousness, and he knows that God supplies us with what we need to reap an abundant harvest of righteousness. He encourages the Corinthians that God will give them the spiritual gift to be generous because he supplies our daily bread. May we trust God to give us the spiritual gifts to live more righteously than even we would expect.
Contemplation #234
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion . . . 2 Corinthians 9:11
To be generous on every occasion requires that we receive from God the material possessions for us to share with others, and the inner heart of generosity that cares for others and sees their needs. The first is much easier for God to provide because it requires no willingness on our part, but we may resist God's inward gifts to make us generous. Certainly Paul is correct when he says "God is able to make all grace abound in you" (9:8) which speaks to God's willingness and sufficiency, and yet the human selfish heart may deny God all access and refuse any gift. Let us be open to not only receiving our daily bread, but the daily gifts of God that bring an abundance of grace into us, and bear the fruit of complete righteousness.
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 2 Corinthians 9:10
Paul says that the way we see God working in the physical world is consistent with the way he works in unseen matters. God is the Provider of both our physical needs and spiritual lives. First, we must be thoroughly convinced that God is the supplier of our daily bread or we have scant confidence in receiving what we need spiritually. Evidently the Corinthians had faith already in God giving seed and bread, and so Paul was able to simply suggest that God would do the same in enlarging their harvest of righteousness. May we begin with a trust in God's power and love to give us our daily bread, and then realize that our daily spiritual food will also be given just as surely.
Contemplation #233
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 2 Corinthians 9:10
The store of seed and harvest of righteousness that Paul speaks of has nothing to do with rewards that come to us for our own good. In this part of the letter Paul is calling on the Corinthian Christians to be generous in giving to help poor believers in Judea. However, the Corinthians are wondering how will we be able to do this? Paul knows that generosity is a spiritual gift that is one aspect of a life of righteousness, and he knows that God supplies us with what we need to reap an abundant harvest of righteousness. He encourages the Corinthians that God will give them the spiritual gift to be generous because he supplies our daily bread. May we trust God to give us the spiritual gifts to live more righteously than even we would expect.
Contemplation #234
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion . . . 2 Corinthians 9:11
To be generous on every occasion requires that we receive from God the material possessions for us to share with others, and the inner heart of generosity that cares for others and sees their needs. The first is much easier for God to provide because it requires no willingness on our part, but we may resist God's inward gifts to make us generous. Certainly Paul is correct when he says "God is able to make all grace abound in you" (9:8) which speaks to God's willingness and sufficiency, and yet the human selfish heart may deny God all access and refuse any gift. Let us be open to not only receiving our daily bread, but the daily gifts of God that bring an abundance of grace into us, and bear the fruit of complete righteousness.
posted by Greg at 8:31 AM
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