2 Corinthians 8:1–2: “Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.”

June 4th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

In the first 9 verses of this chapter, the Apostle Paul writes of God’s grace 5 times. He was saying that the generosity of these Greek Macedonian churches at Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea was motivated by the grace of God residing in their hearts. He wanted to clearly give the credit to God for what God was doing through them. In spite of their difficult financial situation, they gave sacrificially. Secular history confirms the poverty of northern Macedonia and the persecution they underwent, yet from that area, the gospel went out to touch the then known world.

A similar thing is happening in the church in modern South Korea today. One American pastor reported that while he was traveling in Korea, he saw a strange scene in a field beside the road. A teenager was pulling a plow while an older man held the handles. The pastor took a picture and later showed it to his Korean counterpart. He said, “What a strange thing. I suppose they must be very poor people.” The Korean said, “Yes, they are poor, and I know the story behind this. A number of months ago, when the church these people belong to was erecting a new building, all the members were asked to contribute something. This father and his boy wanted to give but felt they had nothing to give, until they realized they could give their only ox. So they killed the ox, cut it up, sold the meat in the market, and gave all the proceeds of it to the building fund of the church. This spring they have had to pull the plow themselves.” The American pastor replied, “What a huge sacrifice for them to make.” The Korean said, “They did not think so. They thought they were fortunate to have an ox to give.”

“LORD, we thank You for Your freely given grace and forgiveness this day.”