“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. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.” (2 Corinthians 8:1-5 NKJV)

Now there are numerous principles of the Kingdom of God here that deserve to have light shown upon them to illuminate our minds. I’d like to do some of that by asking some important questions about these people of Macedonia.

First, how can they have joy in a great trial of affliction? Second, if they are in such deep poverty what are they doing by giving what little they do have away?

I have asked audiences of Christians if they have joy. They will always give a resounding yes. I have then asked how much their joy is worth to them. They barely let me get it out of my mouth as they return that their joy is priceless and cannot be bought. I then say, “You must think it’s a lot of fun when you make out the bills and don’t have enough to go around, ehe?”

Is it possible that for a certain amount of money you could have your joy back? I think that we lose our joy over the things that we ought not. The love for money is at the root of all sorts of evil and though we say we do not love it, we know that if we had a bunch of it right now we would be happy campers. I think that joy can be bought if we can lose it when we come face to face with poverty and lack.

I don’t think that it is stylish to be in lack. I rather think that if pure gold is asphalt in Heaven, and Heaven is where the will of God is being done right now, then that is what God has intended for anyone who believes on Him.

We are NOT to fear the enemies of poverty and lack. I think that we should laugh in their faces. When there is not enough: Have yourself a laugh. When the bills are in: Put them on the refrigerator and enjoy them. God is my supply. No one else is. My homeland is a place where the streets are purest gold. I am from a very rich family. My Father knows that I have need even before I ask.

So, the bill comes, and I have a laugh. I say, “Father, will you supply, according to your mercy?” There is the resounding voice of Heaven in answer: “I will and I already have!”

“Ask and you shall receive.”

Now another very important principle that we need to consult these Macedonians in, has to do with giving when there is great lack. This does not make any mathematical sense whatsoever. If you do not have enough, why would you want to give? I remember that there was a widow in Jesus’ day with a similar problem. He saw her give all that she had into the treasury of the temple. All that she had was not enough to live on, yet she threw the whole batch into the offering. She planted eternal seed of the life of God. Jesus drew attention to it and we are still preaching about that woman today. Not only was it seed that came back to her, but it also has been responsible for the harvest of every person over the course of two millennia who have read, believed, and applied that same faith!

I also remember four lepers who were dying of starvation. They said, “Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.”  (2 Kings 7)

Now, if these lepers surrendered to the enemy their very lives yet the Lord rescued them. And if the widow surrendered to the temple of God her last, how much more will the Father rescue you if you would just throw yourself into the hands of God. We might even look at the widow of Zarephath in the same way. She had only a little grain and a little oil for her and her son to eat one last meal and die. Instead of using it on herself and then dying, she allowed it to be the seed of God! She fed the prophet first and neither her jar of oil, nor her meal barrel ever ran dry!

When there is not enough, it is time for the supernatural power of God! Consider the problem of feeding the multitude. All that you have is a couple of fish and a few loaves. You say, I’ll just eat this myself and that is that. Why not give it to the Master and let Him distribute it,    instead. Let it be the seed of God’s power and watch it grow.

Folks say that they are going to give when they get blessed. They never do though. If you are not faithful in little, you are not faithful in much, either. A giver is a giver. Whether they have it to give or not!

I remember being fed and housed by a poor African family in Malawi. They gave me all that they had. I returned to them “the bless” of God. So, I gave the Chief of their village a new watch from America. The chief was away on a trip and received the watch from one of his wives after his return. Because of this, the chief honored the family, which gave me the last of what they had. I was told later that the family who had been such a blessing to me became one of the richest and honored families in the village and the father of that family became an elder of the tribe and sat next to the chief.

We will all get an opportunity at different times in our lives to strengthen our faith in the life of God that is in our seed. The question is what will you do when that time comes to you?

The Macedonians gave, anyway. The Macedonians laughed anyway. The Macedonians will be part of the last day’s revival! In recent years Macedonia has become a nation again. There is an underground revival in Macedonia right now! They will flourish according to God’s     promises because of their inheritance! Just think, we are still celebrating this great people who were givers and lovers of God!

The best thing to do is to give with joy. Lots of joy. Lots of giving. Do it now. Do it tomorrow. Do it for the rest of your life and love every minute of it. It is the life of God!

And know this: when troubled times come, keep on giving! What if we go broke? So what. We were going broke anyway. At least we have now given the life of God and that seed has something to do with our future!

The Book: Financial Reformation by Wayne C. Anderson (Click to Purchase)