Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | January 31, 2012

Beholding God and Being Transformed into His Image

Today’s devotion comes from 2 Corinthians 9:6-9.
 
“6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
 
7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
 
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
 
9 as it is written,

“HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.”  2 Corinthians 9:6-9. 

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We can just look at God’s provision and promise and miss the more important insight into the character of God.  The purpose of this devotion is to meditate on what this Scripture teaches us about the character of God in the hope that as we see Him, we will be transformed into His image. 

First, today’s Scripture teaches us that God is generous and freely gives to the poor.  “They all wait for You To give them their food in due season.  You give to them, they gather it up;  You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good.”  Psalm 104:27-28.  God sows bountifully:  “HE SCATTERED ABROAD”. 

Second, today’s Scripture proclaims the righteousness of God.  “HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.”  God not only is righteous in Himself;  He clothes us with the righteousness of Christ and causes us to act righteously by giving us “an abundance for every good deed” so that we also can give.  

Third, today’s Scripture leads us to meditate on the fact that God not only loves a cheerful giver, God is a cheerful giver.  God delights in exercising lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth.  “Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;  but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;  for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.”  Jeremiah 9:23-24.  “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”Luke 12:32

In conclusion, as we meditate on the character of God and “see Him”, we are being transformed into His image to give more freely, to be more righteous, and to give more cheerfully.  “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”  2 Corinthians 3:18

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