Friday 15 Nov 2019

November 15: 2 Corinthians 8:1-7

Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 8:5
And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

Devotion:
One of the most pleasing things to do is to give the gospel to those who need it most; and being able to  be amongst the poor and needy whilst doing that is what Jesus wants of us. The apostles were amazed at the reaction they received from the people of Macedonia; the apostles did not expect these people to be able to give and share what little they had. The most pleasing thing for the apostles was seeing the people give themselves to the Lord and then to others.

We live in a world which is divided by all manner of things which should not cause division; people are divided by how much money or property they have, by who they know and by where they live. All these things should not be causing division but rather bringing people closer together so they can help each other.

When we face up to our earthly wealth and belongings, they become the focus of our lives and tend to dictate what we do and even who we mix with. But when we are able to let that go and focus on God and His kingdom, we are able to share with so many more people. God has shown us so much grace by giving so much to us even though we do not deserve it – we need to learn from that grace and extend it to all around us.

We must not judge according to earthly standards but rather listen to God’s guidance and live up to His standards of grace and mercy. The apostles were so pleased with all the local people had done, but they wanted them to go a step further and live up to the standards God would like us to. It is not all about being righteous and giving out Gospel messages; it is also about being gracious and fulfilling the physical needs of those around us. By doing this we become the community God wants us to be and are more apt to share more and spread God’s hope and justice.

Points to Ponder:
Do you like giving things to others?

Will you try and make a positive difference in the lives of people around you?