I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

9Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Corinthians 9-13.

Paul writes that God will reward us if we give generously to those in need. This is not a form of prosperity gospel. Rather what Paul is writing here is more in line with what Jesus said about the widow who gave her last two coins. There are two aspects to the way God blesses us when we give generously. Giving to help those in need teaches us financial discipline, which results in us wasting less of our money. However, there is more to God’s blessings than that. When we give generously, God blesses us in more ways than we can possibly imagine. We recognize that we do not need many of the things we spend our money on and learn to be happy with fewer material goods. Actually, that is not quite correct. As we stop trying to attain happiness through material goods, we gain more happiness. Further, we discover the happiness of making other’s lives better. There is also a material aspect to what God will do for us. God will always provide for our material needs. As we give from the excess He has given us to help those who have less, as we become the conduits by which He provides for the material needs of others, God gives us more to give. If you give $10 for those in need, next week you will likely discover that you have $20 to give (often because you discover another $10 worth of things that you can live without).