Psalm 112:9
He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted with honor.
We were created for good works. We are to reflect the light that shines in the darkness that others may see and have hope that our God lives and loves all of His creation. We are caretakers of the world that we live in to honor God. We may be the only hands of His mercy and grace that they see. We are the feet of our holy God and where we go in His love He is there. Carla
2 Corinthians 9:7-9
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written:
“He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.”NKJV
Knowing the law of the harvest (verse 6), each believer should give as he purposes in his heart. The believer is to give freely and cheerfully, not out of compulsion, and without regret. If we give, God is able to give us more so that we can perform other good works. In other words, God sees to it that the generous giver will not suffer want. Instead, God generously provides for those who give so that they can continue to do so. The NKJV Study Bible
Paul echoes Proverbs 22:9 and other Old Testament passages to emphasize God’s delight in those who give with the right attitude.
Proverbs encourages generous giving several times (Proverbs 11:24; 22:9; 28:27) and equates generosity to the poor with generosity to God (Proverbs 19:17). It does this because the impoverished—like the rich—are likewise created by God (Proverbs 22:2).
God is able to cause all grace. The Corinthians may have felt concerned about giving money because of the uncertainty of life in the ancient world. Paul does not want this to be reason for them to withhold their generosity. Paul affirms that God can provide everything they need, just as He is doing for the church in Jerusalem.
Paul quotes Psalm 112:9, His righteousness remains forever, to suggest that giving alms and being generous are expressions of God’s righteousness. Faithlife Study Bible
Romans 12:8
he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness
Deuteronomy 15:10
You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.
2 Corinthians 8:12
For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
Exodus 25:2
“Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.
In Mark 4, Jesus also pointed to this truth through the parable of the sower. At this time in His ministry, many had heard about Jesus. He was One who boldly healed the hurting (Mark 1:34; Mark 3:10) and was unafraid to stand up to the religious leaders of the day (Mark 2:16-17). We can imagine that, especially in a world without television or social media, being around Jesus was extraordinarily entertaining. Yet when "a very large crowd gathered about him" in Mark 4:1, Jesus took the opportunity not to entertain but to share an unfortunate truth: Though many may hear the gospel, few will allow it to transform their lives.
Jesus then spoke of a farmer planting seeds in four different places: a common footpath, shallow or rocky soil, thorns, and good soil (Mark 4:3-9). The farmer represents Jesus Himself, and the seed represents the Word of God. The only difference is the ground where the seed is sown, or the various conditions of human hearts. Each soil yields a different outcome for the gospel seed:
Some reject the Word, whether intentionally or unintentionally, so God's Truth never penetrates their hearts (Mark 4:15).
Others believe temporarily but then fall away because of suffering (Mark 4:16-17).
Still others hear the Word but allow the worries of life to "choke" it, preventing growth (Mark 4:18-19). Merely hearing about Jesus is not enough for transformation.
Only the final group in Jesus' parable experience the fullness of accepting His Word, producing a harvest "thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold" (Mark 4:20). To Jesus' ancient listeners, this was a big deal! At the time, it was unusual for a farmer to produce more than 10 times what he planted. But Jesus suggested up to a 10 x 10 harvest ... a supernatural miracle of abundance.
As Matthew Henry's Bible commentary states, "If the seed be sown on good ground, if the heart be humble, and holy, and heavenly, there will be good fruit, and it will abound." Jesus' parable shows us there are visible, outward results when we truly commit to be changed by Him. If we are bearing much fruit of godly character, it's a good indication that we are like the "good soil" in Mark 4:20.
Today, let's read this parable as a reminder to eagerly pursue and trust the Word of God. Instead of just being spectators to the gospel, we can actively seek the transformational power of Christ with willing and receptive hearts. First5
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