2 Corinthians 9:15 Devotional

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
-2 Corinthians 9:15

What is the greatest gift you have ever received?

When I was younger, I was enthralled by the TV program that would show a man from the company Publishers Clearing House arriving at a random doorstep with a giant check in hand. When the unsuspecting homeowner would open the door, they were gifted the check, usually in the sum of thousands – if not millions – of dollars. In tears, the family would jump up and down, completely floored by the incredibly unexpected moment of generosity. Once Publishers Clearing House came to visit, life was never going to be the same.

I used to imagine what it would like to have the Publisher’s Clearing House team show up at my door, camera-ready. What would I say, and how would I act when I learned that I never had to worry about money ever again? I’m still waiting for that doorbell. In fact, statistics show that the giveaways are so famous and that so many people enter that the odds of winning are exceptionally long—about 2.4 billion to one to win.

One of the reasons that people dream of winning the giveaway is because, for them, that sum of money means they are free from the slavery of having to pay bills and debt. When you no longer have to think about whether or not you can afford something, you are truly “free”, right?

While the odds of winning the Publishers Clearing House grand prize are slim, there is one gift that you have already received that is even more unbelievable. You can almost imagine the apostle Paul jumping up and down on the doorstep of his home, shouting “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

What is this gift that causes Paul to shout for joy? Jesus Christ and eternal life in His name.

“Wait,” you may say. “I have that eternal life, but I’ve never felt that kind of joy before.”

When you grasp the incredible gift of God in Jesus Christ’s paying for our sins, you will find the reason to jump up and down for joy. Your list of sins before a holy God has caused a debt that is exponentially bigger than all of the world’s financial debt combined – and there is no way that you or I can pay it off. Without hope, we are faced with an eternity of punishment apart from God, the only one who can give us hope, purpose, or joy.

Yet, when we didn’t even ask for Him, Jesus came and lived the perfect life we were supposed to live and died the death for sin that deserved. When we place our faith in Him, all of His righteousness and freedom is given to us. All of our debts are forgotten – forever!

If you won millions of dollars unexpectedly, you would surely tell every person you ran into about this incredible gift. How much more should we share this amazing gift of forgiveness we have received from God?

Now that is a giveaway worth shouting to the world about!

Questions For Reflection on 2 Corinthians 9:15

#1 Think about the worst debt you have or perhaps once had. How would it feel to have that paid off by a stranger in an instant? How would you respond to that person? Knowing the gift God has given us, how do we respond to Jesus?

#2 Who do you know in your life that needs to be set free from the slavery of sin? If you are a follower of Jesus, you have a giant check of forgiveness at your disposal – the gospel of Jesus Christ! Who can you share this good news with today?

Prayer

Lord God, Thanks be to You for Your indescribable gift! I am so thankful for the life that I now have in Jesus Christ that I am unable to truly put words to my gratitude – like Paul, it is indescribable! I simply pray my thanksgiving to You today, and I confess and repent of the times I have lived without thanksgiving. Help me take this good news of the gospel to those who are still living in sin and slavery. Help me to bring glory to Your name through the way I share the gospel!