All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
–Luke 21:4
“GOD SEES THE HEART WHEN YOU GIVE, NOT THE THINGS WHAT YOU GIVE”.
God’s economy is not the amount that you give, but what it costs you to give.
In one of the courts of the temple were large containers into which people dropped their gifts of money. The containers were in an open place, and onlookers could easily see how much people put in. Also, those who gave a lot could easily attract attention to themselves.
Jesus noticed that some of the rich gave generously, but a poor widow gave an amount so small that it was almost of no value in the local market place.
–Mark 12:41-42
Jesus, however, was more concerned with how people gave than the amount they gave. He considered that the widow gave more than anyone else, because he measured the gift not by its commercial value but by the degree of sacrifice of the giver.
A heart of true devotion, not money, was the valuable thing in his kingdom.
-Mark 12:43-44
So, an interesting thing in God’s economy is not the amount that you give, but what it costs you to give.
So, many who are giving less in God’s economy are giving more. The amount is immaterial. What’s the sacrifice? What’s it costing you to give?
When David wanted to buy the threshing floor of Araunah, because the angel of the Lord had stopped there at the threshing floor and David wanted to buy it and to offer a sacrifice unto the God, Araunah says, “Take it, man, it’s yours.” And David said, “No, I will not give to God that which costs me nothing.” And David insisted on buying it. He wouldn’t take it as a gift, because he wanted to give it to God. And he said, “I won’t offer to God that which costs me nothing.” What does it cost you to give? That’s what God measures the gift by.
Having faith in the giver.
In the book of James we read God is the giver of all good things.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
-James 1:17
So through the eyes of faith, whatever was sacrificially give would be redeemed by the Lord himself in double portion.
Prayer
Dear Lord help us to be sensitive to the need of our fellow soldiers in Christ knowing that you are the giver and when we sow the same sacrificially in faith we will be richly rewarded.
Sol. Raymond Amanna