Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.” vs. 7
2 Corinthians 8:7-13
This psalmist wrote that the Lord had given him great prosperity, and that his wealth was a source of great stability. It’s a situation that many of us can identify with. Simply by virtue of where we live and an economy that multiplies portfolios even while we sleep, we’ve become accustomed to the fruits of our capitalistic system. And some of us are very grateful. But we also know, like the psalmist, that the tide can turn in an instant. Wealth disappears, but what’s even worse is the loss of good health. When that happened to the psalmist, he tried bargaining with God, saying, “what profit is there in my death?” He’s trying to remind God that he’s been faithful. In fact, since he’s been one of God’s biggest fans, his death will be of no benefit to anyone! What’s really interesting here is that the psalmist’s bargaining seems to have worked! He reports that God “turned his mourning into joy.” It’s hard to know what to do with verses like this. It seems unlikely that God would really be impressed with vague threats, but at the same time we know that fortunes do turn. Sometimes garments of sackcloth are replaced by clothes of joy. When that happened to the psalmist he promised to never cease giving thanks. It seems that however the divine economy works, thanksgiving is always in order!
Thought for the Day: What’s my reaction to a sermon about money?
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