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2 Corinthians 9:7-8

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Personal Challenge

In the Old Testament, the expectation was that God’s followers would, at a minimum, title 10% of what they earned, and that taken from the first fruits. Under the new covenant, in the New Testament, we are encouraged to give what we purpose in our heart. The key to this is to give cheerfully. We must also remember that our giving goes beyond just money. We are to give of our time, of the spiritual gifts that we have been blessed with. This applies to every aspect of our lives. We should give a smile and a blessing to the strangers that we meet, kindness to the person behind the cash register, grace to that person who cuts us off, our votes in elections to God and not just men or women. God wants us to be cheerful, purposeful givers in all aspects of our lives. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Proverbs 14:17

A quick-tempered man acts with recklessness,
But a man with discernment bears many things.

Personal Challenge

One of the beautiful things about the Proverbs is how straightforward they are. There is no need for explanation with passages like this one. Be quick-tempered and reap a life of recklessness. Be discerning and slow to react and be able to bear with many things that come your way. Glory be to God!

2 Corinthians 9:6

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Personal Challenge

I am blessed to have grown up in a farming family, The scriptures are so much clearer when you understand those which are based in a farming context due to this upbringing. There is no harvest without first the sowing of seed. There is also that balance of how much seed is enough. If the seed is sowed too sparingly, then there will be a minimal crop to harvest. This metaphor plays out in every aspect of our lives. If we sow our wealth, our time, our kindness and mercy, and grace towards others, sparingly, then we will reap it sparingly. If we sow bountifully, then the results will be bountiful. God has blessed us with so much and expects us to be good stewards with it. Glory be to God!

Proverbs 13:10

Deceitful souls are led astray in sins,
But the righteous have compassion and are merciful.

Personal Challenge

We all desire to be treated with compassion and mercy. It appears that this desire was placed within us as part of our creation. This verse reminds us that this is an important part of our lives, especially as we learn to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and try to be like Him. Doing this is clear evidence of growing in righteousness. Glory be to God!

2 Corinthians 8:9

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

Encouraging Words

Throughout the scriptures, both the Old and the New Testaments, there is a significant number of passages that call out the riches that the followers of Christ will receive. None of these passages should ever be taken to create a prosperity gospel. Our riches that we receive are heavenly and not of this world. Eternal life with God is the ultimate blessing that anyone could ever receive. Glory be to God!

Proverbs 12:18 (12:20)

There are those who wound with a sword as they speak,
But the tongues of the wise heal.

PERSONAL CHALLENGE

We have reached a state in our culture where the tongue has become the most vicious weapon in our arsenal. We incite riots with our rhetoric. We create hatred and division with our dialogue. We minimize others and their image of God in which they were created by our commentary and verbalization. Is it any wonder that our society has become so ungodly when those who proclaim to be followers of Christ have chosen to also leverage this vicious weapon? Shame on us! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

2 Corinthians 6:2

For He says:

“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Encouraging Words

God is everywhere present. He knows our every thought, our every desire. He hears us when we cry out to him. He knows what the acceptable times are to respond to us. He always responds with His grace and mercy bringing us into His day of salvation. Glory be to God!

Proverbs 12:1

He who loves instruction loves perception,
But he who hates correction is without discernment.

Personal Challenge

It sometimes feels like we have entered into an age where no one wants to be taught the truth or is willing to be corrected when they err. As followers of Christ, we must be careful to not adopt the mindset of the world around us and begin to think this way as well. If we desire to gain discernment and perception of godly things, then we must accept instruction given to us by God. This instruction is delivered by those in our lives and must be validated alongside of 2,000 years of teaching in the church. We also need to recognize that much of this instruction comes with correction, which we also must be willing to accept. Glory be to God!