The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"The Cheerful Giver"
" 'God loveth a cheerful giver' because He is Himself the most cheerful of givers."
The Lord Jesus Christ declared, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). Such a glorious reality originates in God, and will require forever to even begin to comprehend and experience. "Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee!" (Psalm 31:19).
Who experiences the most joy and pleasure in the relationship between God and those who trust Him? He does. Indeed, we relate to our Heavenly Father as the great Giver, and as His receiving supplicants in all things. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17). Thus, by definition, the "more blessed" must be God since He serves as the great Benefactor of all things in our lives. "Thou openest Thine hand and satisfied the desire of every living thing" (Psalm 145:16).
We do well to still our hearts and minds for a moment, allowing the truth to sink deeply therein. Someone exists so devoted to the needs of others - and so without need Himself - that He finds His joy in giving and provision. Of course, He ever administers His gifts in accordance with the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, and according to His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. This makes for "the good pleasure of His will" because God's generosity of spirit perfectly accords with the integrity of His heart, the fulfillment of His purpose, and the perfection of His mind (Ephesians 1:5). Unlike ourselves, our Lord knows with completely certainty what to give, how to give, and when to give. We may not always receive with wisdom, but God always gives accordingly. He does so joyfully, a truth that if we embrace with our hearts, will help us in far better reception of His largesse.
The Lord Jesus spoke to this truth when He declared to His disciples, "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke. 12:32). God gives from a joyfully willing heart, based on the abounding generosity therein. We must believe this about Him, first, because it is true, and then because rightly relating to Him requires knowing Him as He is. He finds "good pleasure" in His generous bestowal of grace, whether it be the next breath He supplies, or the salvation of sinners that required the suffering, forsakenness, and death of His beloved Son. "He giveth to all life and breath and all things… Joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth" (Acts 17:25; Luke 15:7).
"God loveth a cheerful giver" because He is Himself the most cheerful of givers (II Corinthians 9:7). He will always give according to the perfection of His wisdom, which at times may challenge our understanding. But He will always give, as our next breath confirms. This is who He is. The is the character of His heart. The is the nature of His being. Let us plant deeply within our hearts the wondrous truth, preparing ourselves for faith in this life, and for an eternity wherein we will never fully plumb the depths of the Cheerful Giver as we discover the generosity of His heart and the bestowal of His hand. Yes, the truth that "It is more blessed to give than to receive" originates and forever flows in and through God Himself, as the hymn writer so beautifully penned, "Out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again."
"And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."
(I Timothy 1:14)
Weekly Memory Verse
With all thy getting, get understanding.
(Proverbs 4:7)
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