October 21, 2024

II Corinthians 8.12 (NIV) 

For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

True giving is measured by obedience, proportion and need, not by amount.*

In the New Testament, God hasn’t specified that we continue the Old Testament practice of tithing, but it contains some guidelines to giving that are applicable today.

 

The principle introduced here by Paul seems like one of those “it goes without saying” statements. Of course God doesn’t expect more from us than we have! Paul may be saying that “if the heart is in it,” the gift is the right amount,”* but if we are asking, “How little can I give and still be pleasing to God?” then it doesn’t seem that the heart is in the right place at all. A heart that is properly willing would realize – and rejoice in the fact – that no, we are not obligated to tithe; we can give more than that!*

We often fail to understand that giving is a spiritual issue. I strongly recommend giving as a starting point for growing in faith as you trust God to provide. It is an act of surrender, leading to a life of obedience. And it establishes a pattern of generosity that follows the example of our Savior.

Unless there is first a willing mind in the case God does not want a contribution, because He is not poor and does not need it.*

October 20, 2024

II Corinthians 5.20 (NIV)
We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

Sin has broken the friendship between God and man.*

Like a good mediator, Paul pleads for us to be reconciled to God. Our need for reconciliation implies the existence of certain conditions: that there was a former friendship; that there is now enmity on one or both sides; and that God is the initiator of the reconciliation process.*

In human relationships, there is no reconciliation if only one party makes the effort. One person can forgive, be willing to forget and move on, but unless the other person makes the same effort, the relationship will remain broken. God is in “ready mode” in the reconciliation process, just waiting for us to step up to meet him there. It is usually the vanquished who sues for a settlement, not the victor, but God has assumed the inferior position in order to facilitate our reconciliation.

On his side, the job is done. On our part, we must comply with the terms that God offers. Just as God was in Christ when he was reconciling the world, we must be in Christ if we are going to be reconciled to him.*

Reconciliation is never accomplished without us.*

October 19, 2024

II Corinthians 5.7 (NIV)
We live by faith, not by sight.

True faith relies on God and believes before seeing.*

According to language experts, Paul does not mean that we are unable to see at all. It would be more accurate to say that we conduct ourselves according to what is unseen, not what we can see.* Simply, we believe in Christ whom we cannot see.

Faith is more than just hope that things will work out. It isn’t about what happens here. It’s about believing that no matter what happens here, eternity is on its way. Some of Jesus’ promises had applications just for today but most of them were promises for forever.

My personal faith in God is strong. But the basis of my faith is what I have seen God do in my life. Is that the same as faith by sight? Where is my faith that is truly not by sight? Perhaps if by sight is the foundation of my faith, then not by sight is the walls and the roof!  

No matter how much experience we have in the Christian life . . . we must still walk by faith.*

October 18, 2024

II Corinthians 4.17 (NIV)

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

If Paul’s difficulties were “light and momentary troubles,” what are you and I complaining about?*

I was a single mom with twin boys. One hot summer day (I live in Florida!), I was running errands with my boys in the car. They weren’t walking yet so at every stop I had to get out, get the stroller out of the trunk, set it up (never easy!), get one boy out of his car seat, strap him in the stroller, go around to the other side and get the other boy out, strap him in the stroller. I guess I don’t have to tell you about the reverse procedure . . . Anyway, we were all hot, miserable, and cranky, and I indulged in an epic pity-party. Poor me. Doing this all by myself. Sniff sniff. Later, while I was still sulking, God provided me with a ringside seat as another mother proceeded to unload her son from the car. Into a wheelchair. He was much older than my children and clearly would never graduate from wheels to walking.

Perspective. It cured me of my whining. My boys eventually learned to walk and lead normal healthy lives. One challenging day – or several – is not a lifetime.

By labeling our troubles as light and momentary, Paul isn’t “downplaying our problems as if they were no big deal.”* There are plenty of examples in the gospels of Jesus’ concern for our everyday problems – from missing a meal to suffering from a bleeding disorder one’s whole life. But stand your problems up next to your ultimate reward and you will see which one is tall and which one is short.

Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom is not just a gospel for dying, but for living! It gives purpose to every day, and at the end of the road, Heaven awaits.*

October 17, 2024

II Corinthians 1.3, 4 (NIV)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

There is a very sweet grace called sympathy, which is seldom found in persons who have had no trouble.*

Going through a divorce was one of the worst things I have ever experienced, but God took every painful step with me. I have since been able to be God’s instrument of comfort to others as they walked that path themselves. Sitting by my dad’s bedside for four days as he suffered and died was another of the worst things that I have experienced. Dreadful as it was, I knew God’s comfort throughout the whole ordeal. A few months later, one of my friends lost her father and I was able to offer her some comfort and perspective. And becoming a widow after my husband's two-year struggle with pancreatic cancer has provided me with many opportunities to encourage others with my testimony of God's presence and provision.

I see three benefits that come out of every bad experience suffered by a believer. The first is a closer walk with God. We seldom draw nearer to our Father during the sunshiny days, while storms usually lead us to greater intimacy. The second benefit is our ability to empathize with others. Every time I am able to draw on my past to come to the aid of another, I thank God that my experience was not wasted.

The third benefit? I can face adversity with hope and courage because I know firsthand that the God of all comfort will not abandon me. Praise be to the Father of all comfort!

Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.*

October 16, 2024

I Corinthians 15.19 (NIV)

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

Only in the light of eternity is godly living always more rewarding.*

Not all of us are called to a life of hardship and persecution. I have never suffered for my faith; have you? I have had a life of abundance. But whether my happy life is a result of God’s blessing or just good luck, it would be a pointless existence if I had no hope beyond living and dying.

If our only hope in Christ is what we have now, we have no hope because that makes Jesus a liar and not our Savior. If he is not who he says he is, then who is he? What does he have to offer us? The absurdity of believing in and having a relationship with someone who turns out to be the universe’s greatest conman is in stark contrast with the reality of our hope in Christ. How pathetic are those who have died for their faith if it turns out to be a hoax.

If there is no resurrection, then Jesus is dead. If Jesus is dead, who has been answering my prayers and walking beside me? What is the purpose of Christianity without the hope of the resurrection?* Hopeless world, don’t waste your pity on me!

Death is an affront to our emotions and reason. Death is the curse of life; the resurrection is the hope of life.*

October 15, 2024

I Corinthians 14.33, 40 (NIV)

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace . . . everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

To clasp hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.*

While my husband was the city manager, we were invited to a Spanish church for a special prayer service for government officials. They invited us to the front where they gathered around us, laid hands on us, and began praying. Out loud. All at once. In Spanish. I was very uncomfortable with this at first – it seemed disorderly to me. But then I thought: even if these people were all praying silently, God would still be hearing them praying all at once. And he would hear them. And understand their language. And answer their prayers.

I believe that courtesy is important in any gathering, but the Bible isn’t specific in regard to culture and tradition and personal preference in a worship service. What I might find to be “over the top” may be a moving spiritual experience for someone else. 

Some people seem to thrive on chaos and disorder. Maybe you are one of those people and you don’t even know it! While excess noise and confusion tend to make me feel anxious, I don’t think that Paul is implying that I am more godly than those who flourish in the midst of sensory overload. Perhaps he is not referring to outer orderliness at all. Whether I label and alphabetize myself into a false sense of tranquility; or whether you revel in life’s disarray, God is the only true source of peace and order in a messy world. When we let him be in charge, things get done in that “fitting and orderly way.”

When it comes to his church, God is more concerned with obedience than organization, and if he had to choose between the two, I suspect he’d prefer faithful saints to functional structures.*