6 Devotionals on What Our Prayers Are To Include #3: Giving Thanksgiving (2 Corinthians 9:6 – 15)
“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
When we pray, we should thank God for His many blessings in our life. But we shouldn’t just thank God for what He gives to us; we should also thank God for blessing us so we can bless others.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 9:6 – 15 the benefits and byproducts of being a cheerful giver. What is a cheerful giver, and should we be one? A cheerful giver is one who gives willingly to others without feeling forced, and yes, we should be one. In the previous verses, Paul just gets finished saying that he is sending some people to Corinth to get an offering ready for those who need it. The church of Corinth had promised to give, and he wanted to help them fulfill their promise. He does this because he wants the giving to be voluntary and not coerced. He also explains in Verse 6 that God rewards those who give. If you give a little, you will receive little, but if you give a lot, then you will receive more. Verse 7 says that God loves a cheerful giver. Why does He love a cheerful giver? Because giving shows that we love and trust Him. He wants us to give with a real desire to give and not be hesitant. How do we do that? Well, the first step is to realize that everything we “own” belongs to Him anyway (1 Corinthians 10:26). Paul adds another benefit of giving generously by quoting part of Psalm 112. Basically, when you give to others, you cause them to give thanks to God.
When you think about giving thanks to God, what comes to mind? I typically thank God for what He has given to me: wife, children, job, etc. This passage takes a different approach to thanksgiving. This passage doesn’t focus on thanking God for what He has provided, but instead, this passage focuses on how our generosity produces thanksgiving in others. When we give to help others, it not only supplies their needs, but it also generates thanks to God. God gets the glory when we give out of our abundance or our scarcity. I am reminded of the poor widow mentioned in Luke 21. She did not have much, but she gave what she had. She should be an example to all of us.
Are you a generous person? Do you give out of your abundance? Do you give out of your scarcity? When you distribute freely and cheerfully, it shows God that you rely on Him and Him alone to provide for all of your needs. It shows that you care more about God and others than you do about yourself and your worldly possessions. It shows that you are truly grateful for all that God has given you. Thanksgiving does not only happen when giving thanks for all that God has given you — thanksgiving also happens by giving what God has entrusted to us. What can you give today to cause thanksgiving in others?
Pastor David Guenin