July 31
Mark 12:41-44
Jesus, being the wonderful teacher that He is, doesn't just give us the don'ts like we got yesterday. He also gives us the dos. Today's do - give!
Proverbs 3:9 - Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.
Deuteronomy 15:10 - Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.
Malachi 3:10 - "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the Lord of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!"
2 Corinthians 8:9 - You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.
Principle: God values sacrificial giving.
Application:
1. Am I giving to God sacrificially or out of my leftovers?
2. What is my motivation to giving to God?
3. How does my giving reveal my trust in God?
4. When did I last give to the extent that I did not have something for myself?
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Jesus doesn't just measure our stewardship by what we give. He measures it by what we keep. He knows how much we give and he knows how much we still have left in our pockets. Lord, make me more like this woman.
ReplyDeleteThis story is one of my favorites--not my most favorite but one of my favorites. I love it because the woman demonstrates incredible faith and love. She trusted God to provide for her; she didn't rely on herself. She also loved God enough to give up everything. I want to see beyond the moments in which I live and trust my Eternal God to provide, and I want to invest in His kingdom now. I want to love my God enough to say, "If it cost me everything, I'm good with that. I love you!"
ReplyDeletePS I also love the fact that this example involves a woman because an impoverished woman in Jesus' day would have been like a third class citizen, and yet this citizen was valuable to Jesus and set an example for all believers.
I admire the faith that this woman had. She must have really understood the mustard seed parable! What came to my mind with today’s scripture is 2Corinthians 9:7 "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."(NIV) If we serve cheerfully (day 63's lesson) and give cheerfully (today’ lesson) what a difference it would make in this world.
ReplyDeleteThis passage also reminds me of I Kings 17:8-16 when the women gave all she had to eat to the stranger. I want to have the faith that these two women displayed.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was coming back from N.C this week, I stopped to get gas and a women came up to me and asked for money. I did not have anything in my pocket and was afraid to pull my wallet out for fear of being robbed (I was in Memphis). So I did not give her anything. This has come to my mind several times. I did go into the store and put money in my pocket but I did not see the lady when I went back outside. Now reading this passage I wish I had given her something. As a women traveling by herself I take extra precaution to be safe. In the future I will have some money where I can get to it without pulling out my wallet for situations like this.