Today's Reading:O.T. - Proverbs 28
N.T. - Mark 12
Focus Verses: Mark 12:41-44
41Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 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."
Insight:
Giving and sacrifice are proportional. What makes a sacrifice or gift great or small is how it relates to the giver. Some large gifts cost the giver very little. Some small gifts cost the giver a great deal. Jesus says that God’s view of a gift is formed by the giver’s heart and circumstance.
Response and Action:
I want to be a cheerful giver. I want to give in a way that reflects my heart for God and my trust in him. I want to give freely and joyfully at a level that requires faith in God. I do not want give in a way that costs me nothing.
O God, you have given so much to me. You have blessed me and I want to be a blessing to others. Help me to honor you and trust you by giving cheerfully to meet needs and to advance the work of your Kingdom. Amen.
Proverbs: 28:6
“Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse.”
Resources:
The Challenge of the Disciplined Life: Christian Reflections on Money, Sex, and Power
by Richard Foster
