Hunkered Down Devotion

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 (Voice)
6 But I will say this to encourage your generosity: the one who plants little harvests little, and the one who plants plenty harvests plenty. 7 Giving grows out of the heart—otherwise, you’ve reluctantly grumbled “yes” because you felt you had to or because you couldn’t say “no,” but this isn’t the way God wants it. For we know that “God loves a cheerful giver.” 8 God is ready to overwhelm you with more blessings than you could ever imagine so that you’ll always be taken care of in every way and you’ll have more than enough to share. 9 Remember what is written about the One who trusts in the Lord:
He scattered abroad; He gave freely to the poor;  His righteousness endures throughout the ages.
10 The same One who has put seed into the hands of the sower and brought bread to fill our stomachs will provide and multiply the resources you invest and produce an abundant harvest from your righteous actions. 11 You will be made rich in everything so that your generosity will spill over in every direction. Through us your generosity is at work inspiring praise and thanksgiving to God. 12 For this mission will do more than bring food and water to fellow believers in need—it will overflow in a cascade of praises and thanksgivings for our God. 13 When this mission reaches Jerusalem and meets with the approval of God’s people there, they will give glory to God because your confession of the gospel of the Anointed One led to obedient action and your generous sharing with them and with all exhibited your sincere concern. 14 Because of the extraordinary grace of God at work in you, they will pray for you and long for you. 15 Praise God for this incredible, unbelievable, indescribable gift!

On this Thanksgiving Day, I wanted us to spend just a few short moments thinking about exactly what it means to ‘give thanks’ and how, exactly, we go about doing that.  If you don’t mind, go back up to the top of the page and reread those first few verses.  God loves a cheerful giver; the one that plants little, harvests little and the one that plants plenty, harvests plenty.  

I don’t know why, but I am not sure I have ever thought about it before, because it’s right there in the word itself, but thanksgiving is about the act of giving up – making a choice to give up or give over thanks or something else to God or someone else for what we have.  

All throughout Scripture God is teaching us that when we participate in the act of giving over thanks for what we have, and when we actually give and share of what we have both our gratitude and our gifts will be multiplied.  

Even as we come towards the end of a difficult year, there is much that we have to be thankful for.  So today, somewhere in-between the food and the family, the football and everything else today, make sure that you carve out time and space to give over some thanks for all that you have and make plans to give some of those things to your neighbors that might be in need. And when you do, see if God doesn’t multiply those gifts in miraculous ways.

Sharing God’s Love,
Chip  

Prayer:  Lord, we have so much to be thankful for, help us to give thanks for all of our gifts and guide us in sharing them cheerfully with all.  Amen.