And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8
“God is lavishly generous and abundantly supplies us with everything necessary to have enough for our own needs and to be generous with others. The phrase “all grace” is quite broad in scope, covering the material blessings and the spiritual motivation to share them. Most people become miserly in their giving because they worry that they will not have enough for themselves. Paul assures them that God will supply them with plenty for their needs at all times and uses alliterative repetition to carry his point: “All grace…so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every [all] good work.” Reluctance to sow generously, then, reflects a refusal to trust that God is all sufficient and all gracious. It also assumes that we can only give when we are prospering and have something extra that we will not need for ourselves. Paul says that at all times God provides us with all that we need so there is never any time when we cannot be generous.”
David E. Garland in 2 Corinthians: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture (Volume 29) (The New American Commentary) 407-408.
I was talking to a fellow steward this week who asked me how I was managing such a rigorous schedule of good work. In reply, I spoke of the grace of God abounding to me in the form of provision of strength and resources and the support of my wife. I could not do my job without those two pieces.
That said, I want to say how most everyone in the world mis-reads this verse above. They read “you” as singular. It’s Greek plural. Let me explain the significance. We need to work together to live out our generosity. Read the verse again with this emphasis.
And God is able to bless you [all] abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you [all] need, you [all] will abound in every good work. See the difference. It means all is there even more. It’s there three more times.
God’s grace is able to help Jenni and I abound at all times and all occasions. Sometimes that includes suffering situations or times of difficulty too. And the key to taste this is to abandon reluctance which merely reflect a lack of faith in our all sufficient and all gracious God.
If that sounds like too much today. Re-read the verse and add the extra “alls” in there and remind yourself of this. Why does God make this promise? Do you think He does it because He’s looking for stewards willing to live like they believe what He has said is true?
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9