“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Cor. 8:8)

According to the promise at the top, “God is able to bless you abundantly.” And “why would He choose to do that?” you may ask. The answer is found in the same passage: “So that at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” In other words, God blesses you abundantly so that you can successfully do good work.

Therefore

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph. 2:10).

And your enrichment and generosity will produce thanksgiving to God.

“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” (2 Cor. 8:10-11)

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)

The promise at the top begins with “But God.” These two words appear many times throughout the Bible, and they are two of the most powerful words to hear in a story. They change everything! They are especially powerful when impossible-to-fix things happen. “But God” can fix the unfixable! No matter how bad, no matter how big, and no matter how impossible they may appear, Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).

Therefore

No matter how bad things may look, stay in faith and don’t despair, remember, “but God” can fix it!

Don’t despair or give up when things look beyond your ability to do anything about them. That’s when to turn to God faithfully by casting all your care on him and expecting “but God” to help you. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and able to handle all your cares. As a humble person, you can cast  all your cares on Him because you know He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:4-7)

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:6-8)

“And He said to them, “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.” (Luke 22:35 NASB)

You will not lack anything

Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, said, “God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” So true! When I was hired in August of 1971 to be the director of Whatcom County Youth For Christ (YFC), I was told they didn’t have the money to hire me. But they told me they would certainly pay me each month “if the money was available." So, I started work understanding those conditions. I stood by God's promise, found in Philippians 4:19, “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” And He certainly did! I worked for YFC as director for twenty years and never once missed a single paycheck! God was faithful to meet every need, often in amazing ways. More than once, several checks would arrive in the mail on the last day of the month for various odd amounts that would add up to the exact amount needed. On top of that, we would often wake up to find bags of groceries on our porch. What a blessing it was! 

Therefore

“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb. 13:20-21 NASB)

“My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger— if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said—follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do. Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.” (Prov. 6:1-5 NLT)

My answer is always no

Over the years I have had a number of friends ask me to co-sign for them. The reason I won’t co-sign is because the Bible makes it perfectly clear that you should never co-sign for anyone! And, quite frankly, there are many compelling reasons not to co-sign for someone else, and here are just just a few:

First, by co-signing, you take on all the risk if their loan is not repaid. Keep in mind also that they were not a good risk in the first place for the loan based on their own ability to carry the burden of the loan. The lender considered them to be a bad risk and that’s why they needed someone else with good credit and sufficient collateral to guarantee their loan.

Secondly, by co-signing you are agreeing to pay the loan completely if they don’t. Their failure to pay, often even one payment on the loan, means the lender will immediately come after the co-signer for the entire balance! You are 100 percent liable on any loan you co-sign for, which could be a significant amount. 

Thirdly, co-signing for someone else can affect your own credit. It could even make you ineligible for any future loan you may need for yourself. If you can’t afford to give them the money, you could never afford to co-sign for them. 

Therefore

It’s not worth the risk to take on another’s debt, so just don’t do it! And, If you can actually afford to help someone in need, just give them some money, but never co-sign for them!

“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: “To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding, To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity;” (Prov. 1:1-3 NKJV)

Read Proverbs every day!

The book of Proverbs is a wonderful and profitable book of the Bible to be read every day. There are 31 proverbs, one for each day of the month. I like to read it in many different translations. A year in KJV. Another year in NKJV, then NIV, NASB, NLT, and others. Even though I have read it over and over for many years, I continue to receive new and fresh insights from it.

Proverbs will give prudence to the simple and help the young

“To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion…”  (Prov. 1:4 NKJV)

Proverbs will increase the wise

“A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,” (Prov. 1:5 NKJV)

Proverbs will increase your understanding of things

“To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.” (Prov. 1:6 NKJV)

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lam. 3:22-24 ESV)

With every day comes a fresh start for you! That’s because God’s Love is steadfast and NEVER ceases. Therefore, no matter what things may look like, the Lord Himself, is truly your portion! So you can put your hope securely in Him!

God is with you!

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isa. 41:10 ESV)

God is faithful! 

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Heb. 10:23 ESV)

Therefore

“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:9 ESV)

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19 ESV)

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (2 Thess 5:11 ESV)

There is the gift of encouragement or exhortation found in Paul’s list of gifts in Romans 12:7–8. The word translated “encouragement” or “exhortation” is the Greek word paraklésis, related to the word paraclete. Paraklésis basically means “a call to one’s side.”

Even though there is the specific gift of exhortation (encouragement) that some have been given by the Holy Spirit, as members of God’s family we are all expected to encourage and build each other up in Love. To relate to others with understanding, sympathy and positive guidance.

Stir each other up to love and do good works

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:24-25 ESV)

Therefore

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10 ESV)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 KJV)

This is a wonderful promise: God will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness! Just think of what that means! In the eyes of God, you will be completely righteous, clean, and perfect. That’s incredible! However, this promise does come with a condition: you must confess your sins to God in order to receive it.

Therefore

“He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.” (Prov. 28:13)

“Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and You forgave the guilt of my sin.” (Psalm 32:5)

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may… (Col. 1:9)

 Colossians 1:9-14 is loaded with seven wonderful promises to praise God for. Here’s what you can do with the Spirit’s help:

1)    …live a life worthy of the Lord and…

2)    …please him in every way: …

3)    …bearing fruit in every good work, …

4)    …growing in the knowledge of God, being …

5)    …strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that …

6)    …you may have great endurance and patience, and giving thanks to the Father, … 

7)    …who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 

Therefore

This wonderful passage ends with another great promise about being rescued from darkness and given redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

“…For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:9-14)