2 Corinthians 9:8
“And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed”
Thoughts from Katie Fox
Dive Deeper
Behind the Scenes
This verse is a part of a bigger section that Paul had written to the Corinthian church while he was staying in Macedonia. He wrote to them for multiple reasons, but this section specifically was written to address the hesitation he was seeing in their giving. The Corinthian church had been early adopters to eagerly step up and support other churches. They had excitedly decided to be generous, and Paul was proud of their willingness to give to the cause of Christ.
But by the time this letter is written, their zeal was fading, and covetousness was creeping in. Those that had been so excited to give at the onset were now worrying about how they would provide for themselves. God was calling them to step out in faith, to give generously and trust Him to be their provider. But they were scared. Paul wrote to encourage them and remind them who the ultimate supplier was.
Make it Real
I can totally identify with the church in Corinth. It’s so easy to be excited something you are emotionally energized about. But once the emotions fade, the doubt sets in. The thing that you are so sure of one minute eventually fades and you find yourself wondering what the right course really is.
Now don’t misunderstand me, I do not think we should be making big decisions based only on emotion. Logic is huge and God gave us a strong logical part of our brains because He intends for us to use it. When we only think emotionally, we can get ourselves in trouble really quick.
But I also think we are in danger of missing out on all that God might be calling us to when we only think logically. If we want to, we can talk ourselves out of every choice, every leap of faith, and every difficult choice that God calls us to. There are always reasons to disobey if we’re looking for them. Obedience and faith are a choice, every time.
That’s why it’s so important for us not to rely only one our logic or our feelings. Instead, God sent us the Holy Spirit to reside inside of us. He acts as a sort of referee between our feelings and our logic, helping us to sort through the two sides to find God’s will.
The unique thing that the Holy Spirit does inside us, that neither our logic nor our emotions can do, is that He draws us back to the Truth every time. He is faithful to always revel truth that is free from fear, insecurities, selfishness, or any sinful desire. And that truth is what helps us to sweep away the cloudiness that encompasses so many choices we make.
That is what Paul is doing here. He is drawing them back to the truth and trusting the Holy Spirit inside them to resonate that truth within them. And what truth does he remind them of? He reminds them of God’s faithfulness. See, the Corinthians were not mean-spirited. But they were fearful. They worried that if they were as generous as they originally felt called to be, then they would soon be the ones hurting from lack of resources. They had a scarcity mindset and were limiting in their minds what God could or would do.
But Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, reminds them that we serve a BIG God whose resources are limitless. He reminds them that when they trust God, He will supply their needs in abundance, both their physical and spiritual needs. He reminds them that surrender to God means trusting HIM to be the source, not ourselves. And the great thing about that is, God can never fail!
I don’t know where God is calling you to step out in faith in your own life. But I do know this, God is faithful! He will never call you to do something that He will not see you through. It doesn’t mean that it will always be easy or comfortable. But God promises that if you trust Him, being willing to step out into whatever He is calling you to do, He will be your source and you will never be alone. He will supply every need you have, making sure you are cared for.
My friend, you can trust Him… No matter what!
Crystal Garnett
ACF Digital Discipleship Team Lead
End in Prayer
Lord,
Thank you so much for being enough. Sometimes I am afraid of where you call me to be bold. Sometimes I worry that I won’t have what I need, that my family won’t have what they need. But You promise to always be our provider. Please help me to trust that. Help me to trust whatever Your plan looks like, even when it doesn’t look like mine. Please give me strength to trust You today!
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen