303. Thursday after Seventh Sunday after Trinity.
Teach us, O God, to make the proper use
of thy exceeding great riches.
2 Corinthians 9, 8-11. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
❦
When the pious Francke, the founder of the Orphans’ home in Halle, had just begun his work of giving bodily and spiritual assistance to all manner of poor children, he sat one day talking with his wife about means of obtaining the wherewithal for the prosecution of the work. Being in perplexity he opened the Bible which lay before him, and his eyes fell on these words: “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work; as it is written: He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor; his righteousness remaineth for ever.” “Yes,” said he to himself, “God is able to do it; and he will do it.” Shortly afterward, when a letter was brought to him, he thought: Here is a contribution, no doubt. His heart was happy, and he opened the letter; alas, it was from a poor father who complained that he and his family were in bitter want, and on the verge of starvation. With heavy heart Francke laid the letter aside, and repeated the words of scripture: “God is able to give you abundantly to every good work.” But the passage would not comfort him. He then entered his chamber, and reminded the Lord of his promise, wrestling like Jacob with the Almighty; and came out to his wife with a face radiant with happiness. He now saw his way clear, and it did not fail him.
Let it be your sorrow, dear reader, that there is so much of distress in the world; but do not let it be an idle sorrow of which nothing comes. Of a truth, “God is able to make all grace abound toward us; that we, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” It is “God” who is to do it; he is “able”; he is rich enough to give us all things. He does it of his “grace”; and thus your sin shall not hinder him. God is rich in his omnipotence; and thus he never lacks the power to help. He is rich in mercy; and thus he never lacks the will. He is rich in munificence, and never tires; and thus you shall always have a sufficiency for yourself, and “abound to every good work.” Sow diligently; no other field is so fertile as that of beneficence, no other seed so prolific as that of mercy. Even here there spring up out of it a thousand prayers of gratitude from the hearts of them that give and them that receive; the hearts are strengthened, and made happy, and knit together in love, and the blessing of God is upon them. And in the next world you shall find your acts of charity springing up into an eternal harvest of joy.
Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift! Thou who didst give us thine only Son, how shouldst thou not with him also freely give us all things? We heartily beseech thee, pour out the love of Jesus Christ in our hearts by thy Holy Spirit. Amen.*
O may this bounteous God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in his grace,
And guide us when perplexed,
And free us from all ills
In this world and the next.
All praise and thanks to God,
The Father, now be given,
The Son, and Holy Ghost,
Who reign in highest heaven,
The one eternal God,
Whom earth and heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now,
And shall be evermore.
[TLH 36, LSB 895, ELH 63; listen here]
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.