A Few Moments with God -- Monday through Friday Richard Kews Daily Devotions Scripture, Meditation, and Prayer delivered each weekday Monday, November 3, 2014 RichardKew@msn 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also. Thought for the Day We come back to Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians and pick up the correspondence where Paul, having defended in apostleship and shared something of the distress he has been experiencing now talks to them about something that is on his heart – taking funds to the Christians suffering in all sorts of ways in the Jerusalem area. This was the first relief fund, as it were. The Corinthians had made their pledges, and now he is urging them to fulfill these pledges before he comes bringing with him a representative of the Macedonian churches, who themselves had suffered much of late. Imagine now embarrassing it would be if his boasts of Corinth turned out to be only partially true. The point Paul makes in chapters 7 and 8 is that as the recipients of the Lord’s grace and goodness their responsibility is now to pass some of the material benefits of that grace and goodness on. Thanksgiving for the Day We praise and adore our Lord for the manner in which he has showered so many blessings upon us. Intercession for the Day Let us seek God’s guidance as to how we as recipients of God’s goodness might pass his generosity on to others. Collect for the Day Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that your faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen (The Collect for this week from the Book of Common Prayer 1979) Readings for the Day Isaiah 1:1-20, Psalm 97, 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, Matthew 1:18-end Copyright © 2014 Richard Kews Daily Devotions, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have either been part of Richard Kews Daily Devotions listserv or have requested to be on this list Our mailing address is: Richard Kews Daily Devotions 41 Way Lane Waterbeach Cambridge, Cam CB3 9HG United Kingdom Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 06:32:43 +0000
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