2 Corinthians 9:10-12

¹⁰Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. ¹²This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

Corn Festival

Did you go to the Corn Festival in Morden, MB last week? At the Corn Festival, corn on the cob boiled on the spot and apple juice are given free. Everyone is welcome to enjoy corn on the cob and drink apple juice. They must have abundant harvest of corn and apple so that they give it for free.

There are other activities and entertainments at the Corn Festival, but the Corn Festival features abundant harvest of corn and apples particularly.

Surely, attendees must be thankful and prayerful that kind farmers would have abundant harvest always. Kindness will always have good harvest.

Reflect on what Boaz responded to the request of the widow Ruth in Ruth 2:8-9, ⁸“My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. ⁹Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”

Even after her husband died, the Moabite widow Ruth was still kind and caring to her Israelite mother-in-law Naomi. Boaz heard about the kindness of Ruth toward Naomi. Boaz was kind to Ruth and eventually married her. The story of kindness of both Ruth and Boaz was recorded in the Scripture. Additionally, Ruth a Moabite also became a human ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ. Reflect on what we’re instructed in Hosea 10:12,

¹²Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.

We plant to expect harvest. We reap fruits of God’s unfailing love if we plant or sow righteousness. As proof of God’s love for us, Jesus Christ suffered at the cross. How do we practically prove we trust him? We follow his command to return his tithes and give offerings. Why? It is act of faith we expect God to shower and enlarge the harvest of our righteousness.

1. Enlarge

¹⁰Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 

The Corinthians collected offerings for the Lord’s people in Judea.

The Lord enlarged and multiplied the harvest of their righteousness so that they desired to give again. At that time until now, their generosity has stirred up believers to contribute according to their ability to give.

Titus and Timothy went ahead to inform the Corinthians to prepare their offering before Paul and the rest of his team arrived in Corinth.

And as encouragement and spiritual lesson for all believers, Paul affirmed that God is gracious. God makes us rich and increases our supply of abundance. He enlarges and multiplies the harvest of our righteousness.

Jade Plant

Few years ago, someone gave me a Jade plant. From one small pot of Jade plant, I have grown more Jade plants. Annually, I prune the Jade plant and plant the branches and leaves I cut from the original Jade plant.

The original Jade plant grows big and healthy. Could pruning and sharing Jade plant be a secret of its growth? Surely, God made the Jade plant grow, and I can give more to anyone who wants to plant. I felt blessed when I received the Jade plant, but I’m more blessed to give them away.

Planting is investment opportunity. The King Solomon advised about investment in Ecclesiastes 11:1-2. ¹Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return. ²Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

The Lord gave wisdom to King Solomon. Surely the Lord inspired him to share his wisdom. King Solomon ventured in business domestically. He had orchards, farms and thousands of sheep and cattle. And internationally, he had fleets of ship that brought him billions of dollars in annual revenue.

To practically proves his wisdom in making wealth, Solomon invested in multiple ventures. He personally proved what he said in Proverbs 10:22,

²²The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it.

We heard them say that “working hard” is essential to prosperity. Rich people say that they sacrificed and work long hours to reach where they are in the social ladder. Well, working hard may help anyone prospers but it is not enough. Many among us work hard with double jobs but not rich yet.

Someone complain, “I work hard but I’m not living in luxury while my boss is relaxing but lives in luxury.” We ask, “Why?” Pray for stronger faith to trust that blessing of the Lord brings you wealth, without painful toil for it.

Pray for wisdom on how to prosper and skill to practically apply your wisdom from God. What practical proof can we show to appreciate God for the wisdom he gave? We generously return his tithes after he enriches us.

2. Enrich

¹¹You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Generosity on every occasion is another purpose why God enriches us. God expects thanksgiving to him as a result of our generosity to needy believers. Blessedness is practically shown in thanksgiving. We thank God for enriching us and providing for us tangible and intangible blessings.

We gather regularly to thank God for saving us from eternal torture. We thank Jesus Christ our Lord for his sacrifice at the cross. And we sing gladly, “Thank you for the cross, Lord. Thank you for the price you paid.
Bearing all my sin and shame, in love you came and gave amazing grace”

Together, seriously reflect on what Christ teaches in Luke 7:41-47,

⁴¹“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴²Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

⁴⁴Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

How much forgiveness have we received from God? The amount of forgiveness we received from God is practically exhibited in the amount of love we have for God. As grateful believers of Christ, we want to personally show our love for him. How does Christ want us to prove our love for him? Together let’s reflect what Christ declared in John 14:15 (Amplified Bible).

¹⁵If you really love me, you will keep and obey my commandments.

It’s wonderful feeling to grateful and praise the Lord for his unfailing love. We trust his promise that he already delivered everything we need for godly life. And while we wait for Christ our Lord to return, we prove our love for him by obeying his mandate for us to witness for him and tell others our adventure with him. And so, we become martyrs as witnesses for Christ.

And Christ declared in Matthew 16:24-26, ²⁴Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. ²⁶What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

What kind of life you hope to live? Personally, are you living the kind of life you want? Do you wish to live the same lifestyle you have over and over again? What is the purpose of living in this world? Only Christ defines a meaningful life with purpose, why? He is the life. He is the author of life. He gives us life. He designed our life. He know the best life we could live.

By faith, we declare like Isaiah 64:8, ⁸You, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

By faith, we submit to the Lordship of Christ. He guides us to the right path of meaningful life that has eternal significance. Wealth, power or fame may offer temporal fulfillment, but as citizens of heaven, we should prepare for eternal residency. Always be aware that Christ warned in Mark 8:36,

³⁶What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses their soul?

Our lifestyle and activities reflect our priorities in life. We prioritize our eternal residency and continue to enlarge the harvest of our righteousness. We practically display love for God as we trust that his words leads to his blessing for us. We worship God, encourage one another, return his tithes and give our offerings to express our thanksgiving and praise for Christ.

3. Express

¹²This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

What service may express gratitude to God? As expression of thanks, we contribute to the needs of the Lord’s people. We thank God for the right to become his children, for our citizenship in heaven and for daily provision.

How great is the feeling to be called children of God? But do you know if the Lord has given you citizenship in heaven? It says in John 1:12-13,   ¹²To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

We thank God for our life, and we celebrate the date we were born.

Spiritual Birthday

Do you celebrate the day you’re born again into the family of God? Do you celebrate the day you become citizen of heaven? Do you celebrate the date when you become Canadian citizen? The government of Canada granted our Canadian citizenship on December 15, 2015. And I decided to celebrate annually the day I become Canadian citizen on December 15, and at the same date, I decided to celebrate my spiritual birthday.

If you know the date (you personally accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior), then celebrate to express your gratitude to God. Celebrate also the date you become citizens of Canada. Of course, if you were born Canadian, you celebrate on the same day you become Canadian citizen.

Heaven citizens are God’s children. It declares in Ephesians 2:18-19 (NIRV).

 ¹⁸Through Christ we both come to the Father by the power of one Holy Spirit. ¹⁹So you are no longer outsiders and strangers. You are citizens together with God’s people. You are also members of God’s family.

The term “God’s people” pertains to Christians of Jewish background. Jewish or Gentile background, all Christians are children of God. Christians are all citizens of heaven. Christians can enter heaven when Christ returns.

If you were born in Canada, you automatically become Canadian citizen. If you applied for Canadian citizenship, you become naturalized Canadian citizen. Both Canadian born and naturalized citizen can enter Canada and have access to benefits of Canadian citizens. How we live our life in Canada depends of how we behave and earn our treasures.

Similarly, God gave us citizenship in heaven and right to become his children, but we are advised in Philippians 2:12-15, ¹²Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. ¹⁴Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”

Anyone may argue, “If we have been saved by God’s grace, why do we still need to work out our salvation?” To work out our salvation without grumbling or arguing practically proves that we’re saved by God’s grace. God works in us to willingly fulfill his purposes. The Holy Spirit produces joy and peace in us to trust and obey him and expect harvest of righteousness.

The Lord Supper reminds us of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. The amount of forgiveness we received from God is practically exhibited in the amount of love we have for God.

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