Scripture:

And God will generously provide all you need.
Then you will always have everything you
need and plenty left over to share with others.
2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT

Reflection:

Plow Work

Dr. Roy L. Laurin tells of a Christian businessman
who was traveling in Korea. In a field by the side
of the road was a young man pulling a crude plow
while an old man held the handles. The businessman
was amused and took a snapshot of the scene.
"That is curious! I suppose these people are very poor,"
he said to the missionary who was interpreter and
guide to the party. "Yes," was the quiet reply, "these
two men happen to be Christians. When their church
was being built, they were so eager to give something
toward it, but they had no money. So they decided to
sell their one and only ox and give the proceeds to
the church. This spring they are pulling the plow
themselves." The businessman was silent for some
moments. Then he said, "That must have been a real
sacrifice." "They did not call it that," said the missionary.
"They thought themselves fortunate that they had an
ox to sell!"
When the businessman reached home, he took
the picture to his pastor and told him about it.
Then he added, "I want to double my giving to the
church and do some plow work. Up until now I
have never given God anything that involved real sacrifice."

Do I really believe that God does provide?  You know it
is so very true that if I really believe that my God will give me
everything that I need, then I certainly have plenty left
over to give to others.  That is what real faith is,
having so much trust in God that He will take care of me,
in everything I need. If I believe this, then I can really give,
I can really sacrifice, I mean really sacrifice, for my church,
for my brothers and sisters who are in desperate need,
for the guy that needs a place to sleep, or that neighbor
who is ill and needs comfort, or visiting someone at the
hospital, maybe even someone I don't even know.  Maybe
it means the sacrifice of loving someone who, all those around
me, hate.  Maybe it means to stand up for my belief in what
is right in the eyes of my God, and suffer ridicule for it. MAYBE
IT MEANS GIVING UP MY OX AND PULLING THE PLOW
MYSELF!

Prayer:

Thank you God for Your sacrifice of Your Son Jesus Christ
for me.

Quote:

Emily Greene Balch
Leader of The Women's International League for Peace and
Freedom, Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
(1867-1961)

"We have a long way to go. So let us hasten along the road,
the road of human tenderness and generosity. Groping, we
may find one another's hands in the dark