Life Plan Devotion #144 [How will you be remembered?]

II Corinthians 9:9 "As it is written, 'He [the benevolent person] scatters abroad; He gives to the poor; His deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever!'" (Amplified)

Our key verse defines God's giver as one who "scatters abroad" his gifts. That means that God's giver is a liberal giver. Visualize with me two seed sowers. One sower reaches into his bag of seed, grabs the biggest handful he can, and flings the seed, repeating the process over and over, until the ground is covered with seed. The other sower carefully counts out three seeds, to place in each hole, and repeats the process every 6 inches. Which one is the generous sower? The first one, of course. Which one will reap the abundant harvest? The first one.
According to Psalm 112:9, God equates giving with "righteousness." An easy way to remember the meaning of "righteousness" is to think of it as "right standing with God." It also means "equity (of character or act)." God's giver gives because it's a natural outpouring of thanks to God, and, frankly, it's "the right thing to do."
Based on the fact that the early Christian church had "all things in common" and "gave to those who had need" (Acts 2:44-45) and the fact that, over all, traditionally, Jewish people are well off because they take care of one another, I believe that if every churchgoer gave as he/she should give (10% tithe and over and above that, in offerings), there would be no need for government-funded social programs. It's rather difficult to feed someone spiritually, if that person is physically hungry. I know it's overwhelming; the need is so great all over the world, but what could happen if God's people gave and gave generously.
The "righteousness" of God's giver "endures forever." How long will you be remembered, after you're gone? One of the ways you can be remembered is by being a giver. No, you don't have to give a huge amount and have a plaque put up with your name on it (that would seem to go against the scripture that says, "When you give, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" Matthew 6:3). Others will recognize a giver, because a giver will give of not only their treasure, but their time and talents, as well.
When you give, you bless others, but you also reap blessings on yourself and your family, blessings that will continue from generation to generation. God will see your secret giving and "will reward you openly" (Matthew 6:4), not only in "the here and now," but for all eternity.

What this has to do with weight loss: On the weight-loss journey, we can become too focused on our journey, too focused on the number on the scale, too focused on our weight issues, that we forget that there are more important things (and people). We must strike a balance between being focused on self and focused on others. There's room for both. In the end, though, it really won't matter how much weight we lost. What will matter is how we influenced others. May that influence be for good, not ill, so that when others reflect on our life, they'll remember how we helped and didn't hurt, and may the memories attached to our name and life live on long after we're gone.

Confession:
I am a generous giver, and my "righteousness endures forever."

Life Plan Devotion #143 [Blessed]

II Corinthians 9:9 "As it is written: 'He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever'" (NIV).

We have learned the following, in connection with the Kingdom principle of sowing and reaping:
1) One's harvest is in proportion to the amount of seed sown.
2) Giving is a "matter of the heart," and must be done thoughtfully, prayerfully, and decisively.
3) God blesses the giver, so the giver can give more.
Today, we will look at another way that the giver benefits. In verse 9 of II Corinthians chapter 9, Paul quotes the psalmist, from Psalm 112:9. What a great example, using the Word to back up what you say!
If one reads II Corinthians 9:9, as quoted from Psalm 112:9, without reading either passage in context, one might assume that the "he" of the verse refers to God, for surely He "has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor" and "his righteousness" indeed "endures forever." However, when one reads the previous verses of II Corinthians chapter 9 and the entire 112th chapter of Psalms, one understands that the "he" refers to the benevolent person, the giver.
I encourage you to read Psalm 112 (below), for it expounds on why "the man who fears [reverences] the LORD" is "blessed" (112:1). Reverence of God is the foundation of a life lived for Him. It speaks of awe, and when you are in awe of Him, you worship Him, and when you worship Him, you delight in serving Him. Giving is an integral part of serving Him.

Psalm 112 (NIV)
"Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears [reverences] the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land; each generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn [symbolizes dignity] will be lifted high in honor. The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing." [Note: words defined in brackets by author, according to the original Hebrew.]

What this has to do with weight loss: Sometimes we believers who are on the weight-loss journey become afraid that it just won't happen for us, that, in the end, we'll end up the same as when we started. However, Psalm 112 promises that if we fear/reverence the LORD, delight in/follow His commands, good things are bound to happen, even when difficult moments come along the way. Give the Word to yourself, first, and then give to others, because you are blessed.

Confession:
I fear and reverence the Lord. I follow His commands. I am a giver. I am blessed.