The two lowest lakes in the world can be found in the Great Rift Valley of the middle east.
To the north, the Sea of Galilee receives a steady supply of water from the Jordan river, which then flows out to the south. It’s fresh waters are full of life.
To the south, the Dead Sea receives water from the same river, but has no outlet. The water has nowhere to go but to evaporate. It’s rich with minerals, but bitter and lifeless.
These two seas illustrate two ways of living.
In Christ we receive a continuous supply of grace and spiritual blessings.
That flow can stop with us and become stagnant. Or it can flow from our hearts in streams of life giving generosity.
The call of Jesus, who became poor to make many rich (2 Corinthians 8), is an invitation to a joy-filled, generous, supernatural lifestyle of gospel giving.
God loves a cheerful giver, because he is a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 8-9 outline God’s plan for increasing giving.
When our giving increases, his supply increases, then our giving increases etc… It’s a supernatural lifestyle of an always increasing giving away of blessings.
2 Corinthians 9:11 summarizes that plan: you will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way.
The great biographies of church history demonstrate the reality of this promise.
Maybe this week our lives will too!
Tom Brown is the planting pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Wichita. Tom and his wife, Mandy, have worked together in ministry for over 20 years and have four children. More about Pastor Tom Brown