Tuesday Devo
Scripture:
2 Corinthians 8:3-5
3 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. 4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. 5 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.
3 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. 4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. 5 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.
Commentary:
8:2–5 God’s grace was manifested in that the Macedonians gave even though they were poor. not as we expected. What surprised Paul was that the Macedonians also gave themselves first to the Lord (a recommitment of their lives) and then … to us; they offered not only money but also any other personal help they could give to Paul.
Questions:
- The overflow of GRACE is PRIORITY. God's will for all of us is to put Him first. When we make what SHOULD be priority THE priority, the secondary things will fall neatly into place. Grace is what makes primary things primary and secondary things secondary. Grace takes all the secondary things in your life and submits them to what's primary. What must have happened in the hearts of the Macedonians for them to "beg" to be a part of the collection for the needy?
- Can you imagine being so eager to help someone in need? This would be a pretty extreme shift in priorities for most of us. They weren't concerned about themselves at all. The Macedonians, though they were poor, were concerned about their obedience to God first and the their love for their fellow Christians second. How does this compare to YOUR heart and priorities?
Pray:
- That God would help you sort out your priorities.
- That you would be concerned about obeying God more than your own wants or desires.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time, and Paul.
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
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