1While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. 2Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.a
3“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. 4For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” (Luke 21)
Thoughts: Hope and trust in God plays a very key role in giving. In fact, we will only give out of our plenty and extra if we do not really trust God. Hope is an anchor for the soul. It is an anchor in the way that we give too.
This widow gave more than all the rest- not in quantity or in quality but in quiet trust in God. She gave all she had. She was only able to do that because she recognized that even the little she had was given to her by God. For this reason her action gives her a permanent place in the Bible. She clearly believed God would give her more.
I can remember that when we first went to seminary we sold everything we had to pay my tuition and to make deposits on our apartment. Any money we got we continued to tithe on. It seems like it is easier to tithe on the little we had then than to tithe on the enough we have now. We had to live on faith and hope for there was nothing else to depend on. The laundromat was in the basement and we lived on the third floor of these very old and rundown apartments. Kay was going to the grocery store and remembered something she left. She left our basket of laundry along with our last ten dollars we were going to use for food. When she came back the ten dollars was gone. We felt devastated! We had no more money for even beans and rice. We had taken a huge step of faith to go to so far away and some in our families had thought we were foolish to give up two good jobs to go to seminary (especially without jobs waiting on us). Now we could not call back to our families for help or the Lord's call would be questioned. So all night we prayed. The next morning a check for over a thousand dollars came in the mail from Kay's retirement. God had provided. I am a deep believer that God provides. It is not always immediate or when we want it. But just as this widow trusted in God to provide, we are called to hope in God's provision- and live in that hope.
This widow gave more than all the rest- not in quantity or in quality but in quiet trust in God. She gave all she had. She was only able to do that because she recognized that even the little she had was given to her by God. For this reason her action gives her a permanent place in the Bible. She clearly believed God would give her more.
I can remember that when we first went to seminary we sold everything we had to pay my tuition and to make deposits on our apartment. Any money we got we continued to tithe on. It seems like it is easier to tithe on the little we had then than to tithe on the enough we have now. We had to live on faith and hope for there was nothing else to depend on. The laundromat was in the basement and we lived on the third floor of these very old and rundown apartments. Kay was going to the grocery store and remembered something she left. She left our basket of laundry along with our last ten dollars we were going to use for food. When she came back the ten dollars was gone. We felt devastated! We had no more money for even beans and rice. We had taken a huge step of faith to go to so far away and some in our families had thought we were foolish to give up two good jobs to go to seminary (especially without jobs waiting on us). Now we could not call back to our families for help or the Lord's call would be questioned. So all night we prayed. The next morning a check for over a thousand dollars came in the mail from Kay's retirement. God had provided. I am a deep believer that God provides. It is not always immediate or when we want it. But just as this widow trusted in God to provide, we are called to hope in God's provision- and live in that hope.
Prayer: Lord, help me to live in your hope and be anchored to it.
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