October 10, 2024

Passage Read: 2 Corinthians 8-9
Meditation Verses: 9:13-14

Thought

Receiving gifts from others should result in praise to God for the true faith of the giver and their generosity. It should also result in prayer and longing for the giver because of the amazing grace of God displayed in them by their gift. If given once or twice, if given a truly remarkable and unexpected gift, this kind of gratitude is pretty natural. But gifts given regularly can sadly be met with the coolness of familiarity or expectation. This shouldn't be. Any gift, no matter how small or how often given, should all likewise be seen as a gracious expression of the love of Christ and the work of grace in the giver.

Application

Whether given to me or given to the church, every gift should be met with great gratitude to God for His work in the donor's heart and for their generosity. And my heart should be drawn to them for their expression of love for God and for me. There are those who give for their own glory and wealth, but there are many who give out of a genuine love for God and for us, and they are worthy of great honor.