The Upper Room Daily Devotional from The United Methodist Church of Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Thursday, 26 October 2017 "The Perfect Gift" by Mark Karpinski - 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
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DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017
In 2014, one of the world’s most popular music groups teamed up with one of the world’s largest computer companies to give a free copy of the band’s latest music to anyone who was registered with the company’s music service. While many people were delighted with this gift, others complained that they were given something they did not ask for or want. Complaints were so numerous that the company had to devise a way for those who did not want this gift of music to remove it from their computer devices. Essentially, this allowed customers to give back the gift.
This caused me to reflect upon the many gifts and blessings God has given me. Do I appreciate and thank God for the gifts I have received, or am I upset because my gifts are not ones I would have chosen or wanted? Am I envious of the gifts and talents others have? Do I feel my gifts are too small or insignificant to use in God’s service? First Corinthians 12:6 reminds me of the different kinds of gifts, service, and activities and that “in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” Most important, we can accept God’s greatest gift: “eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Dear God, thank you for the many gifts you have given us, especially the gift of eternal life through your son, Jesus. Amen.
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2 Corinthians 9:6 Here’s the point: he who plants sparingly also harvests sparingly. 7 Each should give according to what he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.[2 Corinthians 9:7 Proverbs 22:8 (Septuagint)] 8 Moreover, God has the power to provide you with every gracious gift in abundance, so that always in every way you will have all you need yourselves and be able to provide abundantly for every good cause — 9 as the Tanakh says,
“He gave generously to the poor;
his tzedakah lasts forever.”[2 Corinthians 9:9 Psalm 112:9]
10 He who provides both seed for the planter and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your tzedakah. 11 You will be enriched in every way, so that you can be generous in everything. And through us your generosity will cause people to thank God, 12 because rendering this holy service not only provides for the needs of God’s people, but it also overflows in the many thanks people will be giving to God. 13 In offering this service you prove to these people that you glorify God by actually doing what your acknowledgement of the Good News of the Messiah requires, namely, sharing generously with them and with everyone. 14 And in their prayers for you they will feel a strong affection for you because of how gracious God has been to you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
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The gifts God has given me are priceless.
Gratitude for unexpected gifts
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Header Photo Credit: "Harvested Land," Beth Shumate. August 15, 2014. (link)
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