When little is a lot.

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 NLT

Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. 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. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.  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.

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Albanian Abundance

"Help if you can," is a common refrain you hear from people raising funds. But maybe it should be rephrased, "help if you want joy."

It's obvious from Paul's description of the Macedonians that they had a full plate. He says they are being tested by many troubles. Turning to Jesus had a huge impact on people then, it effected their employment, their relationship to the city leaders, their relationships with their families, and if the new anti-Christian witchhunters (like Paul himself had been) were in town then life could be very difficult indeed. Presumably the Macedonians were being stonewalled, hunted and taken advantage of. Imagine not being able to get work and the local real estate agents all colluding to keep you from getting a fair price for your property. Increasingly your whole church community is needy, jobless  ostracised, and afraid.
Into this pitiful situation the news that others you've never met are suffering  moves your church to have a whip around. They are poor, and their immediate future prospects are grim and yet they find joy in giving. And although the needy in question are in a very tight spot they in fact may have actually been people who had previously been well off. The Macedonians probably had been poor at best all along and before they became followers of Jesus, where as the Jewish Christians now suffering in Jerusalem by in large could most likely have been comfortable or better off back before the persecution and the huge influx of new believers.

The Macedonians in spite of their circumstances are filled with joy. And this joy manifested itself in generous giving. I've always thought (maybe influenced by loony toons) that if we only had one bean between the members of our family we'd make the bean slices a little smaller so we could get one more person at the table. The slice might be smaller but the joy would be greater. It is obvious that generosity is a by-product of joy. Joy was a by-product of faith. It is true that this new faith had landed them all in rather troubling a spot of bother. But that was only temporary (even if it lasted for years). The Macedonian believers were so confident that God would care for them that their problems didn't dash their absolute confidence in God's wonderful gift of salvation. Having received this ultimate gift they felt rich. So they had plenty to share. The giving was cathartic and addictive and spread like a virus until the whole church was giving spontaneously and sacrificially.

We live now in time where every one wants to get not give. Today the answer of the educated powerful is to throw money at poverty. The failure of every project is lack of funds. The solution of every need is better funding. But  the Macedonians should have been the recipients not the funders. And today most people would say that it was 'foolish' to endanger the church, and the family by short-changing yourself to help others. Paul commends them. He recognises that their generosity with stuff and money was not really the root of their generosity. Rather they had already given themselves to the Lord and to Paul. The Macedonians didn't own themselves so they didn't have to worry about taking care of themselves. They were God's. It was God's responsibility to take care of them. And they knew in Jesus they were secure so they are free to give everything away.
Wouldn't you like to be so free?

Letting your heart have a voice.

Could you let these be your prayers?

Are you singing?

Psalm 98:1-9 NLT

Sing a new song to the LORD,
for he has done wonderful deeds.
His right hand has won a mighty victory;
his holy arm has shown his saving power! The LORD has announced his victory
and has revealed his righteousness to every nation! He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel.
The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Shout to the LORD, all the earth;
break out in praise and sing for joy! Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn.
Make a joyful symphony before the LORD, the King! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the earth and all living things join in. Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!
Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the LORD.
For the LORD is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
and the nations with fairness.

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Struggling? Getting on just fine, but coasting? Finding your faith a bit dull?

Sing! Shout! Vocalise your faith. Say it. Say it aloud! Break the sound barrier with your praise.

Tell your head and heart the truth. Instruct your soul through the ear-gate.
Is it possible, the radio, the TV, your family, your friends, your neighbours, your ipod and your colleagues are daily filling your ears with negative thoughts. Could it be you are being brainwashed into a defeatist attitude because of what you are hearing?

So sing! Reprogram your heart with a song. Shout a blue streak of praise. Break into a torrent of exaltation.

I often tell others and myself that the lows frequently come because we're stuck believing a lie.

So in song rehearse the truth.

It works. Song lifts the heart and sooths the soul.

Teach your inner person the hope and joy you long for by singing a song.

Sing while you walk, sing in the car. Sing in the shower. Song while you cook. Sing while you work. Sing songs of praise.

You may sing with the church but take it further, sing through your day.

Prepare your heart to sing.  Pick a couple of songs that praise God. Pick one your know most of the words to. Pick a song you know the tune to.

Ok, now practice a bit, right now.

Don't worry if it sounds bad. Listen to the words. Let the attempt at a tune give you a bit of a lift.

Don't know a sing of praise?  Well then get with the program. Learn a song.  You can not obey God of you don't start to sing your faith. The Bible repeatedly exhorts you to sing.

Are you singing? Are you obeying? Are you reaping the benefits of singing praise?

Why not tell me the song that you've chosen to sing today?

wkbode@gmail.com