Daily Devotions 12.Feb 2017

2 Cor 8:7See that you …excel in this grace of giving.

The servants of Jesus Christ were told to minister by faith as He had. Jesus and His disciples needed financial support as they went about from town to town sharing the gospel of salvation. They share the word, healed the sick and most of these were people from the poorer class. In return these showed their gratitude to Jesus and His disciples by giving to their support.

What they gave was not something very substantial but they gave what they could afford. Many of these were women who had very little income of their own but they were the ones who had remained faithful in their support. Luke 8: 1-3 After this Jesus travelled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. The twelve were with him and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary Magdalene from whom seven demons had come out. Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

From the time of Jesus Christ the main support for ministries were from the grassroots. Though there are other richer people around, but the main support was from the faithful who are mainly the wage earners and the poorer ones.

The support that the Apostles received were the same and Paul wrote to commend the sacrificial offerings of the grassroots believers in Corinth who had been faithfully supporting him. In the verse we are studying today, we see that Paul encouraged the believers to continue to do so in this grace of giving. The work of the ministers and the Kingdom need financial support. There has been a consistency in the teaching from both the Old and New Testaments on giving to the Lord’s work.

In fact from the time of Moses, tithing had been taught and encouraged. Though it is a requirement there was never a compelling to do so. God had always promised that by the measure you give that would be the same measure you will receive.

Can we imagine that when we give to the Lord a cupful that would be the same measure he will give to us but if we compare it to giving through a bucketful, then God would also give to us by that same measure. His blessings will come upon us as bucketful. That is why Jesus said that by the measure we give that would be the measure we will receive.

In Luke 6: 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured onto your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measure to you.

Today all Christian ministries remain the same; all operate in faith and must rely on the support of like-minded believers. Some are national bodies, some are local bodies and some are individuals, the needs are the same. Everyone needs the same support to sustain their cost of operation. Believers are encouraged to give their support wherever they can.