Scripture:
‘And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. ‘
2 Corinthians 9:8
Observation:
Paul writes this as he asks the Church in Corinth to make sure that the gift they had promised to give was ready. He also encourages the church that it is God who is our provider. He not only provides for our needs but so we can share with others. However, Paul is not saying that we are to overextend ourselves in our giving but have it in our hearts to trust in God’s provision. We need to believe that God will not only provide for us but for us to help others. We are not to be stingy with what we have; quite oppositely, we are to be stewards with our finances and blessings that we do have something we can share. God doesn’t want us to hold onto the gifts. He wants us to share with others, and the more we share, God can trust us with more because he knows we are stewarding well.
Application:
The biggest struggle for many of us, including myself, is stewarding the finances and blessings God has given us. We may live paycheck to paycheck and feel that we don’t have that much to share with others. Perhaps we need to take a look at how we spend the money we get. We could be overspending in areas that could be used in different areas. Proverbs 27:23 reads, “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds;” I feel convicted to start making sure I am taking responsibility for my spending and make sure that I am correctly stewarding God’s blessings. What can I do now to start taking control of my finances over letting my finances control me?
- Take a look at budgeting apps that could help me keep an overall view of my spending. I also need to stay disciplined and even accountable to someone in terms of tracking my spending.
- Set priorities. We tend to make time or allocate money toward things that are priorities. Yet, if we do not limit those expenditures, we could be overstretching ourselves and not have enough to share with others.
Prayer:
Dear God Almighty, Jehovah Jireh! Thank you so much for your provision. I ask for your forgiveness when I have not been a proper steward of what you have blessed me with. I ask for your wisdom and guidance so I may be able to be generous with your blessings. I ask all of this in your Name, Jesus! Amen!
