Joyful Generosity: A Biblical Perspective

Posted on by korgrocker

“As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.”
2 Corinthians 9:9-12 NLT

The poor people in Jerusalem and the surrounding area were in need, and the offering to be collected from the Corinthians, and added to that from the Macedonians, was going to make a big difference to their lives. It would enable them to get back on their feet and provide freedom from the worry about where the next meal was going to come from. Famine is a terrible condition. It was then and still is now, and according to the latest estimates, in 2024, 673 million people (1 in 11 globally) went hungry. The statistics are even more alarming because the world generates sufficient food to feed everyone, and we have the bizarre situation that in the affluent West, people are having to receive injections and pills to counter the effects of overeating, and in the least affluent parts, people are starving. In many parts of the world, conflict is the main cause, affecting over 20 countries. But there are other factors include corruption and failure of the aid programmes. 

However, imagine the joy, back in Judea, when the offering eventuallt arrives, taken there by the trustworthy men of integrity from Macedonia. There was in place in Jerusalem an aid programme, administered by faithful and trustworthy men, as we read in Acts 6:1, “But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food”. To make sure there was fairness for all, the Apostles said to the church, “… select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility” (Acts 6:3). Regarding the Judean offering, and although I have no information to support this, I’m sure to start with the poor and needy would have been given food parcels, purchased from the funds received, but there would then have been a process where the farmers would have received seed supplies for planting, giving them a crop for the following growing season. 

The thanks of the Judeans would have been joyful, an understatement, I’m sure. Paul wrote, “the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God”. The cynics perhaps claim that the offering had nothing to do with God and instead was just an offering collected from a few individual churches. But God was in the giving because 2 Corinthians 9:10 reads, “For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you”. Christians then and now know that their food supply is due to God’s grace, which we call “common grace,” because God has fed the world regardless of whether or not people believe in Him. The fact that people go hungry is because of sinful practices in the supply chain, and judgement will apply one day. 

We pilgrims have much to thank God for, and not just for the food on our tables. It is sometimes a good practice to sit down with a pen and paper and write down all the things that God has done for us. In my devotions, I remember the big things that God has done in my life, but there are many small things as well. In Deuteronomy 4:9 we read, “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren”. Even today, the Jewish people widely practice the Passover meal, known as a Seder. It is one of the most observed Jewish holidays, held on the first night of Passover to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt. Families gather to read the Haggadah, eat matzah (unleavened bread), and consume symbolic foods. But the Exodus took place thousands of years ago, yet is still rememberd and celebrated.

There are many Scriptures that encourage God’s people to offer their praise, worship and thanks, and all with a spirit of joy. The first two verses of Psalm 100 are, “Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy”. Or the first two verses of Psalm 95, “Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him”. Psalm 9:1-2, “I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvellous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High”. And from the New Testament, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! … Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:4, 6). 

In these war-torn days, buffeted by rises in the costs of living, being worried for the future of our families, it is easy to start sliding down the slippery slope into a world of despondency and hopelessness. It is a place where we find many of our fellow citizens, those who don’t know Jesus. Just walk along any High Street and see the looks on people’s faces, frozen and etched with the lines of misery. But we have within us the joy of the Lord, and we know what He has done for us. More than that, we don’t keep it bottled up within us, and we share that joy with others, bringing God’s light into their darkness. Whenever we can. At every opportunity. We have the words of eternal life, words that will bring joy and hope into any miserable and hopeless situation. Come on, folks. If we don’t tell people about God and all that He has done for us, who will? 

Dear Heavenly Father. You are the Source of joy, and the Light that illuminates this dark world. Please help us to act as reflectors of Your light, so that others will come to know You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Robbing the Joy

Posted on by korgrocker

“So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.”
John 16:22-24 NLT

We need to start with a definition of joy. Most people use it as a synonym for happiness but there is a difference. Both joy and happiness are emotional experiences, but it is the root of this experience, the context of where it comes from, that matters. Jesus wasn’t referring to a source of happiness that comes from a pleasurable activity. He was referring to a joy that comes from the relationship the disciples had with Himself and their Heavenly Father. And such a relationship produces a joy that is impervious to the trials and sorrows we experience in this world. The Psalmist, David, wrote, “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever” (Psalm 16:11).

Jesus referred to “abundant joy” in our verses today. John 10:10 reads, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly“. The word “abundant”, describing joy and life, truly describes a counter-cultural experience far beyond anything our secular world can find. A joy that even in some way is detached from society around us. A joy that never left the early Christians as they faced martyrdom in the Roman amphitheaters, prisons and on crosses of torture. A joy that even today seems to elevate us pilgrims above the trials and tribulations of life. A joy that James wrote about in James 1:2, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy”. Paul also wrote about this joy in Romans 5:3, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.”

What is there that could rob us pilgrims of this joy, the abundant joy experienced by those early Christians, and available to all believers everywhere? Our enemy the devil will soon put his finger on any weak point that would bring us down. But even though he is still the god of this world, he was defeated by Jesus Christ at Calvary. The devil’s days are numbered and one day he will find himself in a place of total darkness, created for him and his demonic angels. But in the meantime, we remember the words of Paul about Jesus, “In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross” (Colossians 2:15).

We pilgrims are living in the light of Jesus’ victory. Through Him we continue to live a life of joy, and one day our joy will be complete in Jesus’ presence. And we remember the words in Nehemiah 8:10b, “ … Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank You for Your sacrifice at Calvary, giving us the opportunity to live a life of joy. Amen.


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Encouraging Others

Posted on by korgrocker

“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”
Romans 12:6-8 NLT

The next item on Paul’s list of God’s motivational gifts is encouragement. I think we can all agree, in these dark days of high energy and food costs, with inflationary pressures consuming our resources, with our health service under unprecedented strain, with wars and dire warnings about the effects of climate change, that we need encouragement. And lots of it. One thing is for sure – we will get very little in the way of encouragement from the media outlets. Or our politicians. Or the society around us. It seems that discouragement is the dominant force, sapping our motivation, and spawning the feeling, “what’s the point”. In my rambles in the community, I meet some very discouraged people. People who respond to “It’s a nice morning today”, with “Aye, but it will probably rain later”. People who always view a glass of water as being half empty. People who seem to thrive on having a good moan.

We pilgrims are of a different spirit, however. We are infused with the joy of the Lord. That doesn’t mean we go through life with a silly grin on our faces regardless of the circumstances. It means that, as citizens of the Kingdom of God, we have a different perspective, resourced with the riches of Heaven. Within us is an inner strength, fuelled by the certainty that one day we will be in an environment where the worldly negatives and discouragements will no longer be found. 

In Nehemiah 8 we read about the time when the people of Israel asked Ezra the Scribe to read to them from the Book of the Law. The leaders explained what it all meant and we read in Nehemiah 8:9-10, “Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength””. At a time of national challenge, as a remnant of the Jews who had returned after being exiled, they suddenly found that, although their circumstances didn’t change, their perspective did because of the “joy of the Lord”. They found great encouragement through the Word of God and their leaders who explained what it all meant.

In our fellowships, our communities, our families, and even in our workplaces or schools, there may be no-one available to share a kind word, or some encouragement, to counter the debilitating effects of rampant discouragements, except us. And God has provided just what we need. A Gift of Encouragement. Let’s use it wisely and effectively, as our lights shine like beacons in this lost world. If we pilgrims can’t display “the joy of the Lord” and encourage those around us, who will?

Dear God. You have put within us a deep-seated and immovable joy. Thank You! Amen.