THANKS AGAIN!
Terry R. Baughman

“You 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” (2 Corinthians 9:11 NIV).

The reciprocal benefit of generosity is increased thanksgiving to God. Gratitude and generosity have that symbiotic relationship. Each one sustains the other. When we are grateful in our attitude, we are motivated to be more giving. As we practice generosity the resulting joy brings fulfillment and an increased heart for thankfulness. 

Paul taught the Corinthians believers the value of both thanksgiving and the blessing of generosity. These believers were motivated to make an abundant pledge to assist the church in Jerusalem during a time of famine. Paul wrote to them stressing how their generous giving would result in many expressing thanks to God for their benevolence. Giving increases gratitude, and thanksgiving gives us a desire to be even more generous. 

To believers thanksgiving is not a day on the calendar, where we take a moment from our feasting and football to acknowledge that we are blessed. Thanksgiving is a way of life and an attitude that should be fostered in all who believe in Jesus. We are undeserving of any of the many blessings we constantly receive, but it is God’s pleasure to heap blessings on the unworthy and grant grace on those who have done nothing to earn it. 

From the bottom of grateful hearts let us look for ways to bless others and allow our generosity be the cause of others experiencing more gratitude. As we pay-forward the blessings we have received, we will see others following our example of generosity and the multiplication of thankful hearts. 



Theme passage:
"You will be abundantly enriched in every way as you give generously on every occasion, … it causes many to give thanks to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11 TPT)

THANKS AGAIN!
Terry R. Baughman

“This generous God who supplies abundant seed for the farmer, which becomes bread for our meals, is even more extravagant toward you. First he supplies every need, plus more. Then he multiplies the seed as you sow it, so that the harvest of your generosity will grow” (2 Corinthians 9:10 TPT).

The multiplication of seed is illustration of the abundance God imbedded in nature. From a single grain comes plants and fruit yielding thousands of seeds during their lifecycles. Each of those seeds share the same germ of life with the capacity to replicate many times over. In the beginning of Creation, “God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth’; and it was so” (Genesis 1:11 NKJ). 

This extravagance in the abundance of harvest demonstrates the generosity of God. Who else promises increases with a return of thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold? This return on investment far exceeds what investors normally anticipate. Even on the low end, at a minimum,  Jesus said a harvest thirty times what was planted could be expected when the seed is sown in good soil. (See Matthew 13:8.)

The seed is used for more than merely planting the next crop; it is used for food, fine-ground for flour or meal, and combined with other ingredients to produce sustenance for humanity’s survival. Bread, cakes, tortillas, or biscuits, come from the abundance of the seeds of harvest. 

Paul made the parallel that our generosity should grow like the seeds of harvest. As we reflect with gratefulness on the magnitude of God’s blessings, we will find inspiration to give out of the abundance we receive from Him. May our gratitude be extravagant as we recount our blessings from our great God! 



Theme passage:
"You will be abundantly enriched in every way as you give generously on every occasion, … it causes many to give thanks to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11 TPT)

THANKS AGAIN!
Terry R. Baughman

“Just as the Scriptures say about the one who trusts in him: Because he has sown extravagantly and given to the poor, his kindness and generous deeds will never be forgotten” (2 Corinthians 9:9 TPT).

Scriptures reveal the qualities of virtue and the reward of their manifestation. There are also numerous stories of bad decisions, mistaken alternatives, and poor judgment that were painfully rewarded with the consequence of their errors. Lessons may be learned from all of them, but the greatest blessing comes from following the example of wise choices, charitable living, and caring qualities of Christianity. 

Paul wrote about those who trusted completely in God and have sown the plenteous seeds of generosity. He noted that the harvest of their kind deeds would always be remembered. Eternity is affected by the lasting witness of those who lived well, shared with others, and practiced a life of generosity. The gratitude of those who were the recipients of those blessings continue to honor the lives of those who lived like that. 

Contrast the one who trusts in God, with the man Jesus used for a teaching illustration. Apparently the man was enterprising, successful, and had great resources. His barns were already full before the year of a bumper crop, an excessive increase. His solution was to tear down the barns he had and build bigger warehouses to store his wealth. His goals was to build such a stockpile where he would never have a need and could live out his days in ease. 

God passed judgment on the man in the story, calling him a foolish man. He said, “You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?” Jesus made the application to the lesson, “A person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God” (Luke 12:20-21 NLT). 

It is misplaced priorities to horde the harvest and selfishly store the abundance of blessings for an uncertain future. Life is made more rich by focusing on gratitude for the blessings God has given and joyfully sharing with others, especially those in need. Our open hand of gratitude allows more abundance to flow through our hands and we will never be lacking. 

​God’s provision is boundless and there is no limit to His generous gifts. What we receive with gratitude, we can freely share with thanksgiving. 


Theme passage:
"You will be abundantly enriched in every way as you give generously on every occasion, … it causes many to give thanks to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11 TPT)

THANKS AGAIN!
Terry R. Baughman

“Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything — every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do” (2 Corinthians 9:8 TPT).

There is a blessing in giving. Paul reminded us of the words of Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 NLT). We give, not so we can receive, but the blessings come as a natural, reciprocal reaction to a pure motive of giving. 

When we learn to give joyfully, we are overwhelmed with a multitude of blessings. In the same way, gratitude always brings blessings. The more we express thankfulness, the more we find to be grateful for; the greater our expression of gratitude, the greater the abundance of His grace is multiplied. 

There’s no end of His love, or His grace. The attributes of God are limitless and without measure. So also, is the gifts He pours out in our lives. Whatever God does, He does with excess. There’s just no end of the abundance of His blessings. 

Thanksgiving has a way of increasing our capacity to receive grace. When we recognize our unworthiness, God’s grace is sufficient for every failure. The more grace we experience, the more we can express our gratitude. His abundance overflows our capacity to express, and His provision surpasses our ability to comprehend. Peter spoke of the joy of our salvation when he said, “you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8 NKJ). 

What should our response be to such abundance of God’s blessings? … Thanks again, … and again … and again! 


Theme passage:
"You will be abundantly enriched in every way as you give generously on every occasion, … it causes many to give thanks to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11 TPT)

THANKS AGAIN!
Terry R. Baughman

“Let giving flow from your heart, not from a sense of religious duty. Let it spring up freely from the joy of giving—all because God loves hilarious generosity!” (2 Corinthians 9:7 TPT).

There is joy in giving! Something about sharing our blessings with others brings a wonderful sense of satisfaction. When we are thankful for God’s blessings on our lives, gratitude flows from our spirit. One cannot be truly thankful, and not be grateful! 

Similarly, Henry Ward Beecher, 19th-century American preacher said, “You cannot be grateful and unhappy.” Gratitude is an essential attribute to living a fulfilling, virtuous life. Paul emphasized this concept in our text, “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” (2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV). A true heart of gratitude ignites an attitude of joy when we are able to give and bless someone else. 

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth whose members pledged a generous offering to assist the church in Jerusalem who were suffering from famine and need. He took the occasion to commend their pledges and to address an attitude of gratitude in giving. Perhaps he sensed that some were not pledging with a willing heart and knew they would miss out on the blessing of giving willingly and with a joyful spirit. Giving from a begrudging attitude robs the giver of the happiness that generosity always brings. Paul encouraged them, “Let giving flow from your heart, not from a sense of religious duty.” 

The law of the harvest provides the lesson about gratitude and giving. Paul said, “A stingy sower will reap a meager harvest, but the one who sows from a generous spirit will reap an abundant harvest” (2 Corinthians 9:6 TPT). There will be a return of blessings when we sow generously into the lives of others. The blessing is more than provision or possessions, it is a sense of well-being, mental peace, and joy that comes in return for our shared gifts. During this season let us share joyfully and express gratitude for every blessing!  


Theme passage:
"You will be abundantly enriched in every way as you give generously on every occasion, … it causes many to give thanks to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11 TPT)