Discipleship Point
Luke 21:1-4
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.”
A mite-y God gift for an almighty God
(from Hope’s Discipleship Covenant) I understand some of Jesus’ teachings are in a sense “laws” or “rules” that require personal discipline (sacrifice) in my lifestyle in terms of time, energy, relationships, money, even sleep at times. I also recognize and believe that I am expected to follow not merely out of obligation, but more so out of love for God and moved by His Spirit.
Pondering Point
The size of a gift is not as important as the size of the heart giving the gift. Jesus can multiply whatever gift is given to meet the needs of any given situation, like when he fed 5000 with a mere 5 loaves and 2 fish retrieved from a young boy present that day.
In the story of The Widow's Mite, she is giving all she had whereas others were giving out of their plenty. While their gift required little to no sacrifice, hers required total sacrifice and total trust.
Where are you when it comes to your giving? Are you at place of high and great sacrifice? little to no sacrifice? How is your heart involved in the giving experience? Is it an act of worship? duty?
Ponder this before moving to the prayer.
Discipleship Prayer
Lord Jesus, having pondered giving as part of my life of discipleship, I want to be a godly giver, a faithful giver, a “Mite-y giver” to an Almighty God. I want my gift to flow out of a heart of thanksgiving, of trust, and of praise to You for all You are and for all You do in my life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Micro-Meditation
Psalm 103:13-18
- As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; - for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust. - The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field; - the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more. - But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children— - with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
Read the versus of the Psalm.
Mark the words or phrases that catch your attention.
Meditate: talk (or better, write) with God about those words. Ask him to impress things upon your heart and mind; expect responses.
Teaching or Command of God
Nehemiah 9:1-5
On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. 2 Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. 3 They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God. 4 Standing on the stairs of the Levites were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani. They cried out with loud voices to the Lord their God. 5 And the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah—said: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.”
The Promise
Isaiah 51:6
the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.
Pondering Point
God’s people spent three hours listening to the Word of God read and then three more hours mourning over and confessing their sins and praising God for His kindness.