Poor But Abundant
November 13, 2009
“They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.”
2 Corinthians 8:2–3, 5
encouragement for today
Paul was writing about the church in Macedonia. The Macedonians gave beyond their means, but that attitude was grounded in a prior action: They dedicated themselves to the Lord and to whatever Paul instructed them to do. This open willingness to do whatever God wanted was the secret of their joy and their generosity. How might you emulate them in your own giving?
—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions
Filed under: encouragement