A Time of Harvest

 

	“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
	—2 Corinthians 9:6, 8

Soon, we will begin to sense the coming of autumn. We will find ourselves in the midst of that special time of year when all around us farmers will harvest various crops.

During my teaching career, I loved those crisp fall days when the kindergarten children would walk out to their buses with bulging backpacks full of the fruit they had picked on their field trip to the apple orchard. They proudly exhibited how much weight they could carry by expressing with groans of heavy toil as they walked past me. Todd beamed, too. But, instead of keeping his apples hidden, as he made his way down the hall, he carried his apples in his hands and offered them to staff members.

“Hey, look what I picked! Would you like one?” he asked as he walked toward me.

I accepted his proffered gift and thought about Todd and his sister. Looking at them, it was easy to see that these children obviously lacked in ordinary material possessions. The clothing they wore betrayed their poverty. Yet here Todd came, the poorest of the lot, cheerfully giving out his apples right and left.

Was it possible that Todd, at age five, had already discovered the joy of giving? While other children excitedly took their harvest of apples onto the bus, so they could surprise their parents with the bounty they had picked, Todd was definitely taking a much different tack.

Perhaps this rare occasion, when Todd had something tangible to give away, he was moved by a sense deep within himself to share with others those precious apples. This act on his part certainly provided those of us observing him with a clear glimpse of Todd’s generous heart.

It pleases God, whenever we give cheerfully. It brings a special smile to our heavenly Father’s face on those occasions when we follow the example so clearly set by Todd.

Yes, sometimes we are motivated to give because we feel others expect us to do so. Other times we may give because someone has actually asked for a donation. Perhaps some of us give in the hopes that the person to whom we are giving will feel obligated to us—even might respond by giving back to us at some point.

Following the example set by this amazing five-year-old boy, what can God teach us today about giving? If we think about this narrative, what principles emerge?

• Do we consciously remember all of the many wonderful gifts that God has given to us?
  
  
• Do we think about God’s gift of His precious Son, Jesus, to die in our place on the cruel Roman cross of torture?
  
  
• Can we think of a time when God might have prompted us to give generously, but we withheld what He had so graciously given to us?
  
  
• In contrast, can we remember a time when we responded to God’s prompting and gave to another in obedience? If so, did we find that this giving was a special blessing for us?
  
  
• Do we have a possession that we could give away that would bring pleasure to another?
  
  
• Do we have something God wants us to give in a cheerful and abandoned manner?
  
  

Let’s ask God to clearly share with us His perspective on giving. Let’s search His written Word for what He has to say about giving. Then, let’s take note of the verses we find, including the verse that opened this blog post.

If we follow His instruction regarding giving, in our obedience we will surely reap a generous harvest! And, all the more so, we will know that we have done something that pleases our God, who loves us with His everlasting love.