Daily Bible Verses for 11/4/2016

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

Reading Notes
Paul used a farming metaphor in these passages, one which his audience would have clearly understood, and one we clearly understand today. How much you harvest depends on the amount and quality of the seeds sown and the care taken to ensure a good harvest. What Paul is telling us as Christians, is that we need to apply this simple truth to our own hearts as we live our lives in Christ. The seeds to be sown are the Gospel Message and they are sown with our time, our resources and our abilities which God has so graciously given to us by His loving kindness. We know God calls us to live our lives by faith, giving of ourselves because of the joy we have in Christ and the salvation we received by God’s grace, through faith. God’s grace which was abundant toward us, in that while we were still sinners, dead in our trespasses and sins, Jesus gave up His life that we may live through Him.

Moreover, He guaranteed our salvation with His resurrection. And it’s by His resurrection that we have been raised with Him as a new creation of God. God has secured our salvation by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who will remain with us until we go home to be with the Lord. Paul is reminding us that God will graciously provide for the cheerful giver. Those who from their heart, give to those in need in order that the love of Christ may be seen by others, as we the church help to meet the needs of those who are lost and hurting. In addition, our giving helps to support those who have been sent by God, to seek out the lost who do not know Christ. We should remember, God is in debt to no one and we must also understand that God’s blessings are not meant for personal gain, rather we are all called to use our time, talents and resources to further the Gospel of Christ in order to reach the lost and help those in need around us. This means, when we give freely to God out of our love for Christ, we are replenished by the Lord, in order that we may continue to help meet the needs of others and the body of Christ.