Joy in Giving by David Jeremiah

Wednesday, January 10 Joy in Giving    In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.  2 Corinthians 8:2, NIV    Fundraising is big business. Generally, people hate to ask for money and people hate to be asked. When we answer a telemarketer’s phone call, or open a piece of direct mail, we rarely do so with a sense of joy. And yet joy is the dominant theme associated with giving in the Bible.

Recommended Reading: 1 Chronicles 29:5-9

What did it cost to raise the money to build the first temple in Jerusalem? King David asked once—and the leaders of Israel gave hundreds of tons of precious metals and jewels (1 Chronicles 29:6-9). Afterwards, “The people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly … and King David also rejoiced greatly” (verse 9). Those people obviously had a lot to give. But what happens when poor people are asked to give? The same thing: joy. When the apostle Paul asked poverty-stricken Christians in Macedonia to give to the church in Jerusalem, they gave with an “abundance of their joy” that resulted in “riches of their liberality” (2 Corinthians 8:2). When we give joyfully to the work of the Lord, we discover for ourselves what Jesus meant when He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Who wouldn’t want to be blessed by God? Christian giving is not a matter of finance, it is a matter of faith. John Blanchard