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| << October17, 2007 - Mary at Bethany |
March08, 2008 - Easter Will Never Be the Same for Lydia >> |
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November 17, 2007 Happy Thanksgiving! -------------------------- by Pam Kumpe Jesus sat at the temple treasury as people dropped their offering into the receptacles. One by one. A group. Two men. Some women. And then, he saw her. Most did not. Would you have picked her out in the crowd? Would you have noticed? This widow holding two small coins worth less than a penny walked up to the temple. She carried her life savings in her hand. It was all she had. No husband. No other means to make money, and yet she came with the others, the rich, the middle class and other poor people. She brought her offering. She could have given one coin. She could have kept both of them. Who would have known? Her allegiance to Jesus was evident by her actions and in her walking to the temple that day. I wonder, did she think back over her life, replaying how her husband had died? How long had she been without him? Either way, she was alone. She had no idea what tomorrow would bring, but she loved Jesus. It didn’t matter in the scheme of things; her devotion to Christ came first. And he saw her drop the coins into the receptacle. He noticed the jingle of the first coin, the jingle of the second as she gave all she had to his kingdom. Would you have done the same? What if you were alone? What if you had no ATM card, no savings account, no property, no car, no investments; nothing but two small coins – equivalent to a penny? What do you do on Sundays when the offering plate passes by? Do you dig into your change purse or pocket, and freely give to Jesus? Do you pause? Do you pretend you have nothing to give and pass the plate on? Have you ever really thought about it? How many church services have you attended? How many times have you kept your money secretly tucked away? Now think about this – What if the next time you are in church, Jesus is standing at the back of the service? He sees the rich give out their abundance and he sees those who give what they can. But there in the middle pew, a woman wearing shoes that treaded down streets of sorrow is sitting in church wearing her only dress. She reaches into her purse and tosses the two coins onto the offering plate. She gives all she has, and Jesus sees her. What will Jesus see you do? He knows all about us, knows our every thought, and our actions. He knows what we will do next, or say. He knows if we would give up something valuable like our two last coins. Or whether we would keep them tucked away for later. In Mark 12: 41-44 we see this widow at the temple, as she casts her two coins into the offering. And Jesus looked up, and saw her. Is my faith strong enough to place it all before Jesus? Do I trust him for tomorrow or for my next meal? Matthew 6:33 says, I should seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. But do I get caught up in building my own little kingdom on earth, not really supporting his Kingdom? Am I as devoted as the widow? Such faith. Such assurance in Jesus. Her thoughts are eternal, and she acts with confidence in her Savior. Why don’t I portray such trust, such allegiance, and such love? In 1 Timothy 6: 7-10 it says, we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith, and pierced themselves with grief. We are to put our hope in God. We should do good deeds. We should be generous and share, especially if we are experiencing abundance. Invest in those around you. If a widow is in need, help her. If you can give more, do so. If you need to give for the first time, do so. Start today. It’s not too late to run to the temple, to give out of love – and to show your confidence in your Savior. I hear it. Jingle. Jingle. The coins in the offering plate are starting to add up, and Jesus is smiling. He sees. He loves. Your Savior gave his all for you, what can you do for him? What do you have to give? ------------------------ Stop by my blog at www.pamkumpe@blogspot.com Love in Christ, Your play and pray friend, Pam Kumpe |
| << October17, 2007 - Mary at Bethany |
March08, 2008 - Easter Will Never Be the Same for Lydia >> |
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