Indescribable

DEVOTION

2 CORINTHIANS

INDESCRIBABLE

2 Cor 9:12-15

12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

NIV

Well there it is the result of the expression of giving as we started to see before. All sorts of thanks given to God for the sharing of material blessings with those need is seen here. But something else shows up in this passage which bears our observation. If would seem that giving is a natural expression of those who confess faith in Christ. Giving to the needs of others looks like it is an expression of obedience in those who confess faith in Christ. If we confess Christ as our Lord and Savior it appears we have to be obedient, whenever the needs of those who have less than us are presented. Would this mean, as in the case of the Corinthians, only when a need is brought to our attention by some leader, such as Paul? Would this then be only in the setting of a church joint gift? Or are we personally responsible to see a need and give? It would be difficult to give anonymously personally, but very easy in a joint church effort. But we have to see that it still is a gift sent on its way to another group of people who are in need. They would know the gift came from a group of believers, but would not know any of the individual givers. They would praise God, and give thanks for us as a group of believers doing what God desired us to do. It does seem strange to be known as the gift givers. It is not exactly what would fit with not letting your right hand know what your left hand is doing. At least everyone would know that our church is a big gift giver to those in need. It would be difficult for the pastor not to boast about it, but that would have to be the case. The leader of the church should not boast at all about the church giving to the needs of others. It is one thing for those receiving to praise God for our giving and to tell others of our gift, but we all should not boast or even mention it to others. What good would that serve other than demonstrating our pride or self-righteousness? Whatever we do for others, whether personally or as a church we need to remain humble and silent about what we have done. God sees and that is what matters. If we give so men will see we will have already received our reward. Yes, the receivers will see, but they will only see a gift from a group, and they will praise God for that group. We as individuals will remain in the background, having given so only God can see. Let men praise God for the work of the whole group. Let men praise God for the group of believers who gave out of a sense of love and compassion because they confess faith in Christ. Let men praise God for the group because they gave generously sharing with them from their plenty. Let men’s hearts go out toward us in their prayers because of God grace to us. He has blessed us with an indescribable gift of giving.