Extravagant Giving!

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Exodus 1,2; Psalms 88; Luke 21

Extravagant Giving!

Scripture

Luke 21

The Widow’s Offering

 ¹ As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. ² He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ³ “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. ⁴ All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Observation

Have you ever thought about this story very much? Here is a poor widow that is giving her offering but instead of giving a part of what she owns she gives everything that she owns and when she leaves the temple she is totally broke. Jesus praises her for her sacrificial gift.  

What motivated her to give everything she had? 

Would any of us do that today? She was a poor widow. She wasn’t getting to get a check from the government the next week. She may not have had any family that was taking care of her. Yet, Jesus said that this widow gave more than all of the other rich people because she gave everything that she had while the rich gave out of their wealth. When the rich people gave their offerings and left the temple they were still rich. 

Are you and I more like the rich people in this story or are we closer to being like the poor widow? When we leave church on Sunday after giving our tithes and offerings has it been a real sacrifice for us. Does it hurt? Or are we just tipping God? The rich people in this story were just tipping God. They gave out of their abundance.

Church is tomorrow. How will you give? How will I give? 

I think the widow must have known the secret about giving and that is why she gave everything. You and I would be more generous toward God if we just knew and acted on His promises about giving. Let these two verses sink in: 

Malachi 3:10 

    Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 

Luke 6:38 

    If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving—large or small—it will be used to measure what is given back to you." 

Do you believe the Word of God? 

God says, “Put me to the test.” He only says this about giving. We only believe what we practice! Lets pray today about how much we should put in the offering plates tomorrow. 

Application

The next time I give I will think of the poor widow and how she gave everything and I will seek to be a lot more generous in my giving.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to trust You when it comes to earthly possessions. You own it all. I don’t really own anything. Help me to be generous with people and with You. I know that I cannot out give You. 

I pray for those that are struggling financially. Many of them need to learn the lesson of the widow’s mites. I pray that You help them even though they have robbed You and have spent most of their money on themselves. Show them how to be generous towards You so that they can receive Your blessings. 

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