WEEK 12, July 27- DAY 1

TITLE: “THE GRACE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: II Corinthians 8:1-9

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: II Corinthians 8:1

KEY VERSE: “And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.” II Corinthians 8:1

A story has the potential to influence someone in a life-changing way. Paul wants the church of Corinth to hear the story of the Macedonian churches. His hope is that the story of the Macedonian churches would become the story of the Church of Corinth. In other words, he was hopeful they would be challenged to follow the example of the Macedonian churches in the area of giving.

He wants them to know about the grace of God that was at work in the churches of Macedonian. Paul knew that the same grace that enabled the Macedonian churches to give was available to the Church of Corinth. He wanted them to know about this grace that God had given.

Grace is the foundational element of the gospel. It is God’s unmerited love for sinful man revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. One commentator said, “When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day's pay for his time, that is a wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate recognition for his long service or high achievements, that is an award. But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no award--yet receives such a gift anyway--that is a good picture of God's unmerited favor.”

When I was a young person growing up, we would sometimes sing a gospel song on Sunday night that spoke of the wonderful grace of Jesus. Giving is possible because of the Lord’s all sufficient grace. God can give all the grace that you need. Paul wrote, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” II Corinthians 9:8. It is God’s grace that makes giving possible. I can only give what I have received because of God’s wonderful grace.

“Wonderful grace of Jesus, Greater than all my sin;

How shall my tongue describe it, Where shall its praise begin?

Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free,

For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus, Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;

Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain, All sufficient grace for even me;

Broader than the scope of my transgressions, Greater far than all my sin and shame;

O magnify the precious Name of Jesus, Praise His Name!” (Haldor Lillenas)

WEEK 12, July 28- DAY 2

TITLE: “RICH GENEROSITY”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: II Corinthians 8:1-9

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: II Corinthians 8:2-4

KEY VERSE: “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” II Corinthians 8:2

Are there different levels of generosity? Paul describes the generosity of the Macedonian churches as rich. Paul is not talking about poor generosity, but that which is plentiful. The church did not hold back or get by with as little generosity as possible. In the midst of rock bottom poverty, they responded with rich generosity.

The story is told that one day a beggar by the roadside asked for alms from Alexander the Great as he passed by. The man was poor and wretched and had no claim upon the ruler, no right even to lift a solicitous hand. Yet the emperor threw him several gold coins. A courtier was astonished at his generosity and commented, "Sir, copper coins would adequately meet a beggar's need. Why give him gold?" Alexander responded in royal fashion, "Cooper coins would suit the beggar's need, but gold coins suit Alexander's giving."

Rich generosity suited the heart of the churches of Macedonia. Even when in times of severe trial and extreme poverty, their overflowing joy resulted in an outpouring of rich generosity. They had something within that far surpassed the circumstances they faced outwardly.

The generosity they expressed was not minimal. Paul said, “For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability, entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.” II Corinthians 8:3-4. They give beyond the limits of the normal precautions for their own necessities of life. They wanted to be generous. Literally the Macedonians asked for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints. They had the privilege perspective of giving. They did not have the duty or obligation perspective, but rather the I really want to do this perspective. Rich generosity is never a duty or obligation. As Paul wrote, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” II Corinthians 9:7

Taking initiative and giving of their own free will, they sought out the opportunity to give pleading with Paul for the privilege of sharing in this ministry. Paul records in Romans 15:26, “For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.” Rich generosity is a joyful action of the will that brings joy to the receiver and the giver.

PRAYER: Lord, grant me a generous heart today. Help me not to hold back or give just a little. May Your overflowing joy well up in rich generosity.

WEEK 12, July 29 - DAY 3

TITLE: “FIRST TO THE LORD”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: II Corinthians 8:1-9

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: II Corinthians 8:5

KEY VERSE: “And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.” II Corinthians 8:5

The churches of Macedonia did much more than just give a gift. Generosity is so much more than giving money. When you give someone a gift you can walk away, but when you give yourself to someone you can’t walk away.

The churches of Macedonia gave themselves first to the Lord. The Greek tense of this text puts emphasis on the giving of themselves for it is emphatic. Someone said, “Salvation is God’s gift to us; consecration is our gift to God.” Their priority was to belong to God. Paul writes of this type of consecration in his letter to the Romans. He wrote, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1

The greatest gift we can give to our Heavenly Father is ourselves. One Christmas when our oldest daughter, April, was little, we had gathered around the Christmas tree to open presents. She put a bow on her head, came and sat in my lap and said, “Here dad, I will be your present.” There is nothing greater than when we come to our Father and say, “Here God, You can have me.” If God has all of you, He has all that you have.

The church of Macedonia exceeded expectations of Paul because they had given themselves first to God. The phrase ‘gave themselves’ implies a costly giving. True giving starts with the giving of ourselves totally to the Lord. Someone said, “It doesn’t take much of a person to be a Christian…It takes all of him.” Francis Havergal was a poet who led several to faith in Christ. As a personal expression of consecration she wrote a poem that later was put to music. Take a few moments in prayer to reflect on the words.

“Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee.

Take my hands, and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love. At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my will and make it Thine; It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart; it is Thine own.

It shall be Thy royal throne. It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love; my God, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself and I will be ever only, all for Thee.”

WEEK 12, July 30 - DAY 4

TITLE: “EXCEL IN THIS GRACE OF GIVING”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: II Corinthians 8:1-9

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: II Corinthians 8:6-7

KEY VERSE: “But just as you excel in everything-in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us-see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” II Corinthians 8:7

The first Epistle to the Corinthians clearly shows this was a gifted body of believers who excelled in many ways. Paul challenges them to go on and excel in the gift of giving also.

Everything that the Corinthians had was a gracious gift from God. Paul makes it clear that they should also give as an expression of the grace of God.

Giving had taken a back seat in the church of Corinth and they had fallen sub-standard in the grace of giving. Regardless of all the other things they had excelled in, Paul wants them to take responsibility to excel in the grace of giving. Paul did not want them to just participate, but to excel.

There is a difference between doing something and excelling at something. At the Nazarene General Assembly there was a company that had set up a large display. The company sold speed stacking cups. Sport Stacking is an exciting individual and team sport where participants stack and unstack 12 specially designed plastic cups in pre-determined sequence. Sport stacking originated in the early 1980's in Southern California and received national attention in 1990 on a segment of the "Tonight Show", with Johnny Carson.

I watched with amazement and wonder as some of the demonstrators stacked cups with amazing speed. At the display they had set up mats for people to come up and stack cups. There was a tremendous difference between the novice who came to try to stack the speed stacks and the skilled demonstrators who excelled at stacking. Sharon, at our daughter’s request, went to a free seminar that taught you how to speed stack and gave you a free set of stacking cups. I stacked them a few times and quickly decided this is something that I would probably never excel at.

It seems the church at Corinth had chosen not to excel at the grace of giving. They were content to excel in other areas and let the grace of giving go untapped. Paul calls them to not leave the grace of giving to others, but to step up to the plate and excel in the grace of giving. Grace is available so you can excel in this grace of giving. Spend some time in prayer today and ask God to help you to excel in this grace of giving.

WEEK 12, July 31 - DAY 5

TITLE: “RICH IN THE THINGS OF GOD”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: II Corinthians 8:1-9

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: II Corinthians 8:8-9

KEY VERSE: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” II Corinthians 8:9

There were once two young men working their way through Leland Stanford University. Their funds got desperately low, and the idea came to one of them to engage Paderewski for a piano recital and devote the profits to their board and tuition. The great pianist's manager asked for a guarantee of two thousand dollars. The students, undaunted, proceeded to stage the concert. They worked hard, only to find that the concert had raised only sixteen hundred dollars. After the concert, the students sought the great artist and told him of their efforts and results. They gave him the entire sixteen hundred dollars, and accompanied it with a promissory note for four hundred dollars, explaining that they would earn the amount at the earliest possible moment and send the money to him. "No," replied Paderewski, "that won't do." Then tearing the note to shreds, he returned the money and said to them, "Now, take out of this sixteen hundred dollars all of your expenses, and keep for each of you 10 percent of the balance for your work, and let me have the rest." The years rolled by--years of fortune and destiny. Paderewski had become premier of Poland. The devastating war came, and Paderewski was striving with might and main to feed the starving thousands of his beloved Poland. There was only one man in the world who could help Paderewski and his people. Thousands of tons of food began to come into Poland for distribution by the Polish premier.

After the starving people were fed, Paderewski journeyed to Paris to thank Herbert Hoover for the relief sent him. "That's all right, Mr. Paderewski," was Mr. Hoover's reply. "Besides, you don't remember it, but you helped me once when I was a student at college and I was in a hole."

Mr. Hoover gave in response to the gift that he had been given. The Corinthians are to abound in the grace of self-sacrificial giving to the Jerusalem saints, because Christ gave Himself.

Jesus has given so very much to us. Though He was rich, He became pour for our sakes. Jesus shared His Father’s glory before the world was created, nevertheless He temporarily laid aside this glory in order to be found in fashion as a man. The phrase ‘Christ became poor’ speaks of Him coming to earth as a human being under the curse of the law on behalf of others so that, through His sacrifice, others might know the riches of the Spirit. Christ gave up everything in heaven, and came to earth and died on the cross for you. The purpose of this willing submission to poverty was that believers, who accept in faith the sacrifice made by Him on the cross for their sakes at such tremendous cost should become rich in the things of God. Are you rich in the things of God? Take some time to give the Lord thanks today.