Category: 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:13a Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, 

Holy Father, Thank You for using this scripture to bring to the fore an issue that I know I still need to work on. Thank You that I am more generous now than I used to be. Thank You that there are times where I don’t weigh the cost before giving. That’s progress. Help me, always, to recognize and celebrate the progress, no matter how small.

2 Corinthians 9:13b …and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 

Beloved Lord, Thank You for reminding me of the work that I still need to do in the area of generosity. I know you don’t want me to beat myself up, but You do want to remake me in Your image. I want that, too. Help me to live into Your grace and generosity while being gentle with myself and my slow progress.

2 Corinthians 9:14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the example of generous living, generous giving that You provide. Help me to breathe in Your grace, breathe in Your peace, keep moving closer to You, one step at a time. Amen.

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Have a blessed day.

2 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 

When I heard today’s verses during the sermon on Sunday, I knew that this was where I was being called to go this week. The image of standing there, hands extended, fists clenched tightly still comes to mind when I read these verses. It doesn’t look good. It doesn’t feel good. And I don’t want it to be my default reaction.

2 Corinthians 9:7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 

Verse 8 is where I need to live with this issue: “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” I know that it’s true, I know God will supply all my needs, but still I hold on so tightly to things. Jesus, Help me.

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 

Precious Savior, My head knows the truth of 2 Corinthians 9:8, but my heart has trouble believing that I don’t need to squirrel away resources so that I don’t have to do without. I cannot point others to you with clenched fists. I know this. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

2 Corinthians 9:9 As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”

Have a blessed day.

2 Corinthians 9:4a For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—

I remember a page from a Precious Moments coloring book when I was young: Two smiling kiddos, a boy and a girl, with a wagon full of adorable puppies, ringing a doorbell, presumably to give said puppies away, to share the cuteness with others. The caption read: God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:4b …would be ashamed of having been so confident. 

I spoke yesterday about my scarcity mindset. I have no idea what that issue is rooted in, but it often causes my giving to be less than cheerful. There are lots of careful calculations involved. It’s not that I don’t want to be generous. I do. I just don’t want to be without, either. Even to type that statement makes me feel terrible, and I know God is calling me, yet again, to deal with this issue.

2 Corinthians 9:5a So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. 

Precious Savior, Thank You that You supply all my needs. Thank You for once again bringing this matter of cheerful giving to my attention. Help me to deal with it so that I can be a cheerful giver, so that I can give without worrying about whether I will be lacking. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

2 Corinthians 9:5b Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.

Have a blessed day.

2 Corinthians 9:1 There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the Lord’s people. 

Commentary says that verse 1 might be Paul being sarcastic, that if there had been no need to write these things, he would not have done so, but that since he *did* write these things, that shows that the Corinthians did need the reminder. It makes me chuckle to think of an apostle as sarcastic.

2 Corinthians 9:2a For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; 

But I understand the Corinthians just a smidge better when I see that they, too, struggle with being generous. It’s not that I don’t want to be generous, it’s that *I* don’t want to have to do without. This is a side of myself that I have struggled with for a long time, and I haven’t yet won the battle. Jesus, Help me.

2 Corinthians 9:2b …and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.  

Precious Savior, Thank You that in You, I have everything that I could ever need. Help me to grow in love and generosity towards others. Help me not to get stuck in a scarcity mindset, afraid that I may have to do without if I share with others. YOU supply all my needs. Always. Help me. Amen.

2 Corinthians 9:3 But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.

Have a blessed day.

2 Corinthians 4:15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

I think this is the first time I have noticed that both verse 1 and verse 16 talk about not losing heart, reminders at both the beginning and the end of the chapter to hold on. As I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, this time of year, losing heart is pretty easy for so many reasons. So the reminder to not lose heart is pretty important for me.

2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 

I think the key to not losing heart is being renewed day by day, finding those things that nourish my soul, like time with family, reading a good book, texts with friends, noticing and recognizing the many, many little moments in each day where God shows His love and presence.

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for understanding the struggle to not lose heart. Thank You for the reminder that You are with us, that You see our struggles, that You love us deeply, that we are not alone. Amen.

2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  

Have a blessed day.

2 Corinthians 4:12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 

Precious Savior, You go before us today. You know all that we will encounter. You can use all things for our good and Your glory if we will allow. Thank You for Your presence and Your willingness to use all things to draw us closer to You.

2 Corinthians 4:13a It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” 

Lord, Everything starts with our faith in You. Help us to root ourselves firmly in You–Your word, Your will, Your love and mercy. You tell us that with faith the size of a mustard seed we can move mountains in Your name. Help us to believe and to live that faith.

2 Corinthians 4:13b …Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 

Holy Father, Thank You for the Risen Lord, for a faith that is not severed by death, for the power of prayer and the power of belief. Thank You that You are with us always. Be with us today, Lord, no matter what we face. Amen.

2 Corinthians 4:14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.  

Have a blessed day.

2 Corinthians 4:8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 

Today’s scripture reminds me that life is not always easy. There are seasons where we are hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. But I have heard it said and I believe that, “The worst thing is never the last thing.” Death doesn’t win. Hate doesn’t win. Despair doesn’t win.

2 Corinthians 4:9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 

God wins. Christ wins. Love wins. We see it on the cross, in the empty tomb, in the risen Savior. So whatever you are going through right now, hold on–to God, to Jesus, to love, mercy, and grace, to hope. The worst thing is never the last thing. Jesus promised, and He always keeps His promises.

2 Corinthians 4:10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 

Precious Savior, I know that there are a lot of hurting hearts in this world. There are a lot of folks struggling, feeling hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. Help them to hold on to You, to hope, to love and grace and mercy. Please, Jesus. Amen.

2 Corinthians 4:11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 

Have a blessed day.

2 Corinthians 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.    

“Let light shine out of darkness,” verse 6 tells us this morning. That’s a tall order sometimes. But have you ever noticed just how much light a tiny little light can shed? The barest illumination can shine as a beacon in total darkness. So our light can shine His glory. The darker it is, the easier it will be to see, but even in the light, it’s there.

2 Corinthians 4:5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

And while we have the power to shine His light, we must remember that “we have this treasure in jars of clay.” The light is His, not ours. We just shine it back to Him. It is His “all-surpassing power” that is shining through. We are simply earthen vessels, doing our best to shine for Him, in Him, and with Him.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Precious Savior, Thank You for Your light, which shines in us. Thank You for the power to shine that light wherever we are. Thank You that in the darkness, our little light shines even brighter. Help us to face this day with you, to shine for You, to give each other hope in You. Always. Amen.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Have a blessed day.

2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.   

Especially this time of year, I have a difficult time with not losing heart. Spring is tough for me for a number of reasons: The school year is drawing to a close. We’re all exhausted, but we’re not quite finished with it. The slog from winter to spring can be hard. It’s not really warm, but it’s not cold either. There’s lots of rain and mud. Allergies are in full swing and immune systems are weak. For so very many reasons, Spring can be tough.

2 Corinthians 4:2a Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God….

However, I do still have a ministry, and it is through God’s mercy that I do, so I have an obligation not to lose heart. My ministry is a pretty small one, but that’s ok. A friend of mine recently called me “an awesome supporter of people.” I can’t think of a better description of what I try to do with my little ministry–support people, encourage people, uplift people–because I know life can be hard and losing hope can be so easy. You have a ministry, too, whether you realize it or not.

2 Corinthians 4:2b …On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the ministry that You have given each one of us. Thank You for the ways–little and big–that You call us to minister in Your name and to each other. Help us not to lose heart as we praise Your name. Help us to cling to Your mercy. Always. Amen.

2 Corinthians 4:3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

Have a blessed day.