ICS Daily Devotions
The Joy and Rewards of Giving
2 Corinthians 9:7. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
The Greek word for “cheerful” actually equates to “hilarious”. Therefore, we should be excited and hilarious about the opportunity to give. Giving helps us to experience God and His faithfulness. It is also an avenue that God has given us to partner with Him in ministry. We should be thankful that He has chosen to entrust us with abundance so that we can excel in every good work and increase the fruit of our righteousness. It is an act of righteousness whenever we choose to give to a good cause, whether it is to bless the poor, support missionaries and any other worthy causes that God has placed in our path.
When we talk about being an imitator of Christ, we should also excel in the area of giving. Because Christ gave us His life in exchange for our souls, giving is very much part of God’s nature. Therefore, we should be cheerful whenever we are given an opportunity to give because it allows us to express the nature of God in us.
Galatians 6:6 (NKJV) Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
Matthew 10:40-41(NKJV) He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
One way of being a steward of God’s resources is to open our homes to accommodate the ministers of God, whether they are pastors, evangelists, or missionaries. We can also offer them usage of our cars, time-shares in holiday resorts or even our frequent flyer points in booking tickets for them. This is being a steward of everything that the Lord has blessed us with. Freely give and share whatever the Lord has blessed you with, and you will share in the prophet, pastor, or evangelist’s rewards for what they have done for the Lord. Besides serving God, this is the only other way where God has indicated the sharing of rewards.
Proverbs 19:17 (NIV) Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him what they have done.
We do not need to be rich to give because we can give within our means. Jesus taught us the difference between the widow’s and the rich man’s giving in Mark 12:41-44. Giving has to do with our heart.
Sermon Series: Free will Offering
