God gives

God’s resources are infinite. He created everything and therefore owns it all. But He is also eternally generous. He gives it all away. He didn’t want to share us with the devil, but other than that, He has freely given us all things: “stuff” He has created, His love and power, gifts of all descriptions, and the list goes on. Most of all, He has given us His Spirit and His Son, that is, He has given us of Himself, a divine mystery that we can never understand but one that we can believe and receive. God gave, God gives, God will give.

God loves a cheerful giver because…

God’s gifts, the Holy Spirit, Faith, Hope, and Love

“God loves a cheerful giver,” 2 Corinthians 9:7. This passage is often quoted just before the offering plate is passed, but I was thinking this morning about other kinds of giving. God loves a cheerful giver because He Himself is a cheerful giver. He needs nothing but created everything just to give it all away. We might say He is an extravagant Giver. He enjoys it, He delights in it, He takes pleasure in giving “good gifts” to His children. He gives His Spirit to those who ask. “He delights in showing mercy.”

Jesus “loved me and gave Himself for me.” If you don’t understand the giving nature of God, you have missed one of His core attributes. He has been generous to me to a degree that is beyond my understanding. If I am to be like Him, I need to do the same, especially that mercy part.