Evening

April 18

Mark 12:42-44 ⁴²But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. ⁴³Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything–all she had to live on."

Jesus was watching the offerings. That is an interesting thought. You do realize that He watches them today, don't you? He was not looking at percentages, but at the willingness of the giver and the sacrifice that was made. Our world tends to make a big fuss over large donations. We make oversize checks and display them while giving a great banquet to celebrate the occasion. We think of all that can be accomplished through that large gift.

Jesus has another perspective, as usual. It is His Father's eternal perspective. That huge donation that would buy a new building wing is a very temporal thing considering eternity. The widow's heart, however, showed a love for God, a faith in His provision, which pleased the heart of the Father. It gains heaven's interest rate! Which gift means more? Jesus said that her gift was more than ALL the others!

You may only have a little to give. That might embarrass you, but remember that it is not the size of the gift. It is about the size of the heart of the giver. No matter how poor you are, you can give more than the entire congregation! Is God pleased with the size of your heart? It is reflected in the proportion of your giving. This is not written to increase the size of church coffers, but encourage you to allow the Spirit to increase the size of your heart.

Consider: The need that presents itself to you today may be the providence of God to allow you to invest in eternity and earn heaven's interest rate.