Notice on a slight format change:

Except for July 2012, these are mostly a collection of current devotional notes.

July 2012 is a re-write of old quiet times. My second child was born Nov 11, 1987 with multiple birth defects. I've been re-reading my QT notes from that time in my life, and have included them here. They cover the time before the birth and the few years immediately after the birth. They are tagged "historical." I added new insights and labeled them: ((TODAY, dd mmm yy)).

Thursday, June 12, 2025

QT 6/12/2025 2 Cor 9:11–15, Giving produces thanksgiving

2 Corinthians 9:11–15 (ESV) —

11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

 

NOTE: When we give to others and to the church, we give, not to get more material things (which is what many prosperity-gospel false prophets teach). We give for two reasons. One, there are spiritual blessings and growth which comes from giving. Two, giving produces thanksgiving to God (vs 11). Are we truly thankful for our salvation? Then we should want to give, not only as an expression of our thankfulness, but to produce thanksgiving to God in others. The idea of God being glorified as a result of our small actions is humbling and exciting. But if that idea doesn't appeal to the you, well, maybe, you have not experienced the life changing transformation of being born-again. Or you have never grown in a deep and abiding relationship with the savior. One cannot help being thankful for experiencing salvation and experiencing a relationship with the savior through his word.

 

PONDER:

  1. What really gets me excited?
  2. Is my relationship with God one of the things that gets me excited?

 

PRAYER: Father, thank you for the work you have done and are doing in my life. Thank you for these days. Thank you for the rest this summer. Help me to use my time wisely. Help me to give freely and to bring more thanksgiving to you.

Posted by at
Labels:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)