Riches of Liberality—Riches in Glory - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

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.

Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 8:1-2 NKJV; Philippians 4:18-19 NKJV

Riches of Liberality—Riches in Glory
One purpose of the Epistle to the Philippians is to thankfully acknowledge the financial ministry the assembly at Philippi had sent to Paul during his imprisonment at Rome. Much earlier, while Paul, Silas, and Timothy were at Thessalonica, they had twice sent brothers there with a monetary gift (Phil. 4:15-16). When financial help for needy saints in Jerusalem was being collected among the Greek and Macedonian assemblies, they had insisted on giving, in spite of their own deep poverty and great trial of affliction. All this was evidence of the grace of God actively at work among them. Our giving too, whether we are rich or poor, should be an example of the grace of God working in us.

Do we ever associate deep poverty and great trial of affliction with abundance of joy and riches of liberality, as we find among the Macedonians? God tells us He loves a cheerful giver, not a grudging giver.

When Paul thanked the Philippians for their giving, he pointed out how well-pleasing their giving was to God: "a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice." God would well recompense their giving, for He will never be anyone's debtor. He would supply all their need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. This is true riches—far, far more than the cattle on a thousand hills and all the silver and gold this world has to offer.

-- Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.