2 Corinthians 8:5; Gave Their Own Selves to the Lord

2 Corinthians 8:5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

“Contributions to the work of the Lord,” says G. Campbell Morgan, “are only valuable as they are the gifts of those who are themselves yielded to God.”

The people of God in Macedonia were sacrificial in their giving because of their consecration toward God. They were walking closely with God obeying and following hard after God.

The psalmist described such a consecrated heart by this prayer of faith toward God:

Psalm 63:1-8 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so asI have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

Indeed, the heart that is so nigh to God does not feel the pain of giving but the joy of giving.

God bless the devotion of His saints, having been nourished by God, nourished others. Amen.