Paul sent the brothers to the Corinthian churches in advance to prepare their pledged offering. For he wanted their offering to be a generous gift willingly given, not as one grudgingly given. He reminds them of the harvest principles (6) to encourage generous offering. Our offering is an expression of our faith in God, the source of all our blessings. It must be decided prayerfully, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. When we give in this spirit, God will bless us to meet all our needs in all things at all times so that we will have more opportunities to do good and to share more generously with others. Otherwise, we become like a rich fool (Lk 12:20).

Our giving is more than supplying the needs of others. It results in praise and thanksgiving to God, for our offering is our expression of our deep thanks to God for his surpassing grace. When we give generously, remembering God's indescribable gift to us, those who receive it will praise God not only for our generosity in sharing with them, but for our obedient life, consistent with the gospel of Christ we confess. God gave his Son to die for us. It is his indescribable gift, which cannot be compared with anything we can give to others. Thanks be to God!


Application: Lord, thank you for your indescribable gift, Jesus Christ who died for my sins. Help me to give to others generously and joyfully with a heart full of thanksgiving
One Word: God's indescribable gift