Our Poverty and God’s Riches

Bible Reading

• 2 Corinthians 8
• Psalm 69

Devotional Thoughts

How rich are you? Wealth is relative. Your apparent wealth or poverty is measured in comparison to those around you. I feel poor, if I have an old beater of a car, and my neighbor has a new car. I feel poor if my friends have the latest phone, or electronic device, and I can only afford last years model… or 5 years ago. But, then when I look at the people I live among here in PNG, I am abundantly rich!

In 2 Cor 8 Paul talks about God’s wealth, and our poverty. God has need of nothing. He owns the cattle on 1000 hills! He is the creator of the universe and the owner of everything he created! But, in 2 Cor 8:9 Paul says, “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor. so that by his poverty he would make you rich.”

Through His poverty, he made us rich. In Phil 2:1-11 Paul described what that meant for God. He left the comfort of heaven, the comfort of his palace, his kingdom.. and came down here to the squatter villages called earth. He lived among us. He became one of us! He emptied himself of all his royalty, all his wealth and power. He lived in our poverty. He experienced everything that we experience (Heb 4:15).

On the other hand, we were not only living in poverty, but we were so far in debt that the only way for us to pay our debt was with our life! So, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice, so that he would do what we could not do, to pay a debt that he did not owe for us who owed a debt we could not pay!  

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

How rich is God?

• Ps 69:16 Answer my prayers, O Lord, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful
• Ps 69:29-33 rescue me O God by your saving power. Then I will praise God’s name.. I will honor him with thanksgiving… The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged. The Lord hears the cries of the needy… 

He desires to lavish his riches on us… love, faithfulness, grace… When we are weak, HE IS STRONG! Rom 5:3-5 the results of God’s working in our lives is experiencing his love more deeply.

So that we can in turn share that hope, that love, that grace to others. 2 Cor 1:3-5; 1 John 4:7-13