A Handful of Rice

Hey my friend, welcome to today's encouragement from your friends at Our Daily Bread. The devotional for today titled A Handful of Rice was written by Matt Lucas. The state of Mizoram in northeast India is slowly climbing out of poverty. Despite their lack of income since the gospel first came to this area, believers in Jesus have practiced a local tradition called Handful of Rice. Those preparing meals each day set aside a handful of uncooked rice and give it to the church. Mizoram churches, poor by the world's standard, have given millions to missions and sent missionaries around the world.

And many in their home state have come to Christ. In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul describes a similarly challenged church. Believers in Macedonia were poor, but that didn't keep them from giving joyfully and abundantly. They saw their giving as a privilege and gave even beyond their ability to partner with Paul.

They understood they were merely stewards of God's resources. Giving was a way to show their trust in Him who provides for all our needs. Paul used the Macedonians to encourage the Corinthians to have the same approach to giving.

The Corinthians excelled in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in love. Now they needed to excel in this grace of giving. Like the Macedonians and believers in Mizoram, we too can reflect our Father's generosity by giving generously out of what we have.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 2 Corinthians 8 verses 1-7. Now brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 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 Lord's people, and they exceeded our expectations.

They gave themselves first of all to the Lord and then by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love we have kindled in you, see that you also excel in this grace of giving. Would you pray with me? O Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for the examples of generosity that we see on display in these scriptures and really all around the world. Would you inspire us to reflect your boundless generosity by giving freely and also joyfully from what you've already entrusted to us? And may our giving be a testament to your love and your grace in our lives. And we thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.