March 11
He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury; and saw a poor widow put in two copper coins. And he said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them;” Luke 21:1-3
Haven’t we all received one of them - a gift given to us by someone that we know to have very little? It’s a gift that has the ability to make a heart swell with compassion and love for that person. To be considered so highly of by that individual that they give from their heart to us is humbling and at the same time fills us with happiness. The gift becomes a treasure for the measure of its giving, the thought behind it, and the immeasurable selflessness in which it was presented. It is never forgotten. Even experiencing that, it is difficult for us to comprehend someone like the poor widow in this Scripture reading, giving all she had to live on to God. Could we do this? Where would that leave us if we were to do so? We ask ourselves, “However would we survive?” How would we make ends meet? Yet, this widow had such trust in God that she gave everything she had to Him without reservation. I can only imagine the love Jesus felt in his heart for her – for her self-sacrifice and more importantly her belief in Him.
Every now and then we misjudge the motives our behavior, especially when we feel that all we do is give! We give all we can at home, at work and yes even financially to the point of exhaustion it seems; leaving us with the sense that we just cannot do any more! But often we do what we feel is expected of us, rather than what our hearts are guiding us to do. We continue to empty ourselves until we learn to say no appropriately, until we finally understand that the only fitting time to empty ourselves fully is when we do so for God and wait to be refilled by Him. We learn that often less is better, and that it is even more appreciated at times. Our God does not expect us to deplete ourselves of energy, time or money for that matter. But we need to think about what it is in our life that is depleting us, rather than what it is we are actually giving. When the difference is understood, we no longer are left without; rather we are filled beyond measure, our two copper coins can surely go a long way.
Father, thank you for filling us with every good thing; may we use your gifts wisely.
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson