2 Corinthians 9:15 -Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! NKJV
It’s the holiday season! Thanksgiving Day kicks the season off! Traditionally speaking, Thanksgiving Day commemorates the support that the Native Americans provided to the first English settlers, that literally saved their lives. However, it has evolved into so much more, as most people take this time to be thankful for their friends, family, and the wonderful things that have happened in their lives. For the believers, it’s another day that we have an opportunity to give Him thanks!
In this blog, I want to stop and give my personal thanks for His indescribable gift, Jesus! Thank you, Father for Jesus!
When Paul wrote this particular part of his letter to the Corinthians, he felt a need to remind them of the benefits of being generous supporters to those in need. He had boasted to other churches, according to his writing, about their plans to give this offering, to those in Jerusalem who were struggling. Since he was writing them anyway, he wanted to let them know that he was fully expecting them to do what they said they would do, otherwise, they would all be embarrassed throughout the Church.
Paul continues to write that when we give of our substance, it causes people to give thanks to God, for the giver, for the gift, and for His blessings in their lives. While at the same time, it’s the giver’s opportunity to demonstrate how blessed he has been by God, causing the giver to give expressions of gratitude. So let’s talk plain!
Every believer should be a giver. Not just in tithes and offerings to the church, but as a lifestyle. When we are givers, meaning no one has to beg us to give, we are an expression of the abundance of blessings that have come to us. Not only that, with our giving, we say thanks to the Father for giving so much to us, that we have to give to others. This is what being blessed truly looks like! We bless others because He has blessed us!
I learned the blessing of giving as a young person. I was attending Bible school and was struggling financially, but I had made up my mind that I was going to trust God to provide. One weekend a group of leaders in our church went to visit another church in Georgia and I went with them. As we were leaving Georgia, someone slipped some money in my hand. I really needed that money and I was so thankful to God for providing it. As we traveled back to Tennessee, we saw a young lady on the bank of the highway. We pulled over to offer her help, and I was chosen to go and speak with her. Long story short, she didn’t want us to take her anywhere but she was in a tight spot in life. Worst off than me. I slipped that money in her hand and got back in the car. It was an amazing feeling to help someone who needed it more than I did. I thanked the Lord for Him setting things up so I could be a blessing to someone with a greater need. Whatever my need was, it was supplied. And He hasn’t stopped supplying! Thank you, Lord!
Paul gets so excited about this circle of blessings and thanksgivings that he ends this section of the letter by saying, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” If we read this too fast, we may think that Paul is thankful for the money, and be that as it may, it isn’t what he is talking about. He is thankful for Jesus!
Paul uses the word, “anekdiegetos” (an-ek-dee-ay’-gay-tos) which means indescribable or unspeakable. This word is found only in this verse. It is, as if while he was writing about the blessings of being a blessing, he came to a personal place of thanksgiving, and had to stop and give Him thanks! And since in his mind he couldn’t think of an appropriate word at the time, the Spirit of God gave him one! Anekdiegetos! A word that began to be used after the Spirit gave it to Paul!
I remember a time when I was talking to the Lord in prayer and he taught me a new word. I got to the point when I realized I had said so much that I was speechless, and didn’t know how to proceed. And this word came to my spirit: encapsulate! For some odd reason I not only heard the word, but sensed its meaning. For those of you who already know this word and its meaning, you may not be impressed, but I was. Encapsulate means to express the essential features of (something) succinctly, or to give a good wrap up. So I can identify with how Paul was writing about the power of giving and a new word came to him, anekdiegetos!
Jesus truly is indescribable. I am in a bible study with a young lady, and as we were talking about Jesus this week, she said that she didn’t realize that Jesus had done so much in so little time on the earth, or that He was so young when He died. In her mind He had lived forever and ever! Precious to hear some of the things people say when they are first learning of our Savior!
I love Thanksgiving Day! The food, the fellowship with friends and family, the sense of gratefulness that permeates the atmosphere. Although we can’t celebrate it in our usual manner, we will still celebrate! My heart is filled with gratitude for all that He has done since the last celebration: new babies in the family, new jobs, loved ones who recovered from the coronavirus, and His amazing protection over us all. But more important than that, I am thankful for Jesus!
His amazing love, His sacrifice on the cross, the wonderful miracles He performed and are still performing, the souls that He saved from hell who now know the Father and have access to His amazing love! His abundance of grace and mercy, His patience, His steadfastness, His glory, His comfort…There is so much to be thankful for when we think of Him. Because of all that He has done, and does for us, it should be easy to be people filled with gratitude and people who willingly give.
As we officially enter the holiday season with this great day of Thanksgiving, let us remember to give not just to those who can return it, but especially to those who can’t! This pandemic has caused many to be without their jobs and some to be without their home. When He presents an opportunity to you to be a blessing, don’t let it pass you by! It truly is more of a blessing to give then it is to receive. And if the opportunity presents, give them Jesus! They will be eternally grateful for this Indescribable Gift! Wonderful Jesus!
