Cheerful Giver – 2 Corinthians 9:7

Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow,”[1] should be our chorus as we consider that everything we have comes to us as a blessing from God’s hand. Thanksgiving should rise from within our souls in praise to the Lord for gift upon gift, blessing upon blessing,[2] and out of our rejoicing, our cheerful hearts should give in return.[3] For having received much, we should rejoice at the privilege of giving much through our tithes and gifts.

Amazingly, the Lord promises that if we give back a portion of His gifts, He will pour even greater blessings into our lap, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.[4] In giving, we will receive, for those who sow bountifully will reap bountifully.[5]  The Lord waters those who water, increases those who scatter, and prospers the generous.[6]

As we give with liberality to His church and His people, without grieving the loss of our gift, we can expect the Lord to bless our work and all our undertakings.[7] We need not fear some deficiency as we lay our offerings upon His altar, thinking that we must preserve what we have. For the Lord promises that as we share from a joyful heart out of His provision for us, we will have a sufficiency of that which we need, an abundance of the beneficial resources of heaven and earth in order to serve in His name.[8] God will grant us spiritual vision as we draw close to Him, so we may comprehend that what we can see and touch is temporal, but the investments we make in the kingdom of heaven are eternal.[9] As we set our eyes on the glory to come, not the materials of the world,[10] we will begin to comprehend how much more valuable are the treasures we store in heaven than riches horded on earth to be stolen, destroyed, lost, wasted, or left behind.

As you have freely received, freely give.[11]  Give from a pure heart, as one unafraid that poverty will come tomorrow and unburdened with the need for endless accumulation, knowing that as you honor the Lord with your tithes and gifts, He will be faithful to provide for you according to His riches in glory.[12]

[1] Doxology, Thomas Ken, 1674.

[2] Colossians 2:7

[3] 1 Chronicles 29:9

[4] Luke 6:38

[5] 2 Corinthians 9:6

[6] Proverbs 19:17

[7] Deuteronomy 15:10

[8] 2 Corinthians 9:8

[9] 2 Corinthians 4:18

[10] Colossians 3:2

[11] Matthew 10:8b

[12] Proverbs 3:9-10, Philippians 4:19