And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. 2 Corinthians 9:8 AMPC
Context:
The long version was chosen so that a full picture of God's mind would be made known. Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, thanking them in advance for the gift they were planning to give. It was not out of compulsion, but a gift given from the hearts of the people of Corinth. As I seek to be a blessing in my generation, what is the motivation: is it a desire to be celebrated and feted, or is it an earnest desire to see God glorified and his work increased?
The context of today's extract is about how I give been an indication of my heart. How I sow is an indication of my reach. If I sow generously, I am not only thinking of myself, but seeking to be a blessing to other people. Sowing generously means I am planning for other people to be blessed by my actions. The opposite too is true: if I sow grudgingly, I am saying that I plan to take care of just myself, and do not take other people into consideration. How can God entrust his true riches into the hands of someone who cannot be trusted to impact the lives of other people with these riches?
Message and Response:
It is the last sentence above that ties into today's extract. We claim the abundance that is promised in today's extract, but we do not care too much about the context of the promise and the conditions to be met before the promise can come true. Today's extract starts with an AND, so we must pay attention to the parts that come before, and join them together with today's extract.
God is a God of grace; there is nothing I could have done to deserve it, but when I have received it, I have to depend on it for the rest of my life, if I will please God with my life. If I claim to know God, I must strive to do all that he has asked me to do, and do them well. It is when I have sown bountifully that I can expect a rich harvest. How can I make a demand on resources that my efforts do not reflect? Don't forget: you can't earn grace, but when you have it, you had better be ready to put in the work to appreciate the grace you have received.
When God sees my heart, he has no problem playing his part of increase. He can take a mustard seed and turn it into a mighty tree, but the effort in planting, watering, weeding and nurturing are my parts to play. I put the seeds in the ground, my efforts in line with what I believe God is able to do. There is no limit to the reach of his grace but his grace wants to meet and bless my labour. We must not promote a God who can be deceived by mere words, claiming promises that we have not positioned ourselves for, thinking that just by claiming it, we can lay hold of it.
There is also no area that his grace cannot touch. Today's extract makes the case that if I am able to play my part, God is able to make sure that in ALL things and at ALL times (always and under any circumstances and whatever the need), I have all I need to make an impact and to support good and charitable work. That is the touch of a God who wants to impact the world, but needs my eyes, mouth, feet and hands.
Daniel was a slave, but he died as one of the chief rulers of Babylon. Joseph went from the prison to the palace in one day. God can change a man's story overnight but the work is usually done away from public eye or the applause of men. It is usually done in secret, sometimes with tears and years of slaving and labour, but we serve a God who does not forget. All I do, with the motives, are all laid bare before this God. It is his way to wait for my effort before he blesses me beyond my effort. It is his way to demand something precious from me first before he then opens the windows of heaven and pours out a blessing on me.
Does the world know and recognise God in and through me? Is my life a reflection of what God can do? Am I, as well as all I have and hold, totally yielded to God, available for his use anytime? Can He make a demand on my time, life and resources, dispensing them as he pleases, so that glory, praise and honour could be his, and his blessings my constant reality? As always, God will play his part; I have to play my part. Earth has no idea what God can do with a life that is fully committed to Him. His time of favour is here.
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