Streams of Mercy - All-in
Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on” (Mark 12:43-44).
Heavenly Father, everything in creation belongs to You. To You, Lord our God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it (Deuteronomy 10:14). You have no need of [anything from us], for the world is Yours, and all that is in it (Psalm 50:9,12).
Yet You have chosen to include us in a connective process of flow and supply, distribution and mutual support—through which You channel Your blessings. You have designed laws of sowing and reaping, giving and receiving, measuring and allocating—to teach us that we are all fully dependent on You.
Ultimately Lord, You seek only thank offerings sacrificed from committed hearts that desire to obey and honor You (Psalm 50:14-15). Our Lord Jesus pointed this out to the disciples as he held up the example of the poor widow who gave all she had (Mark 12:41-44).
We know that some, in shameless greed, have used this Scripture to manipulate and abuse the vulnerable, but the lesson Jesus taught was not merely about money. He was going beyond to much deeper truths about a heart-attitude of surrender, trust, priority, and perspective.
Father, help us to grasp those truths. All we have is Yours. Help us to be good stewards of what You have entrusted to us in large or small quantities. You have shown us in Your word that our offerings are not by measured by markings on human scales.
You are the miracle-working God who fed multitudes with a small lunch (John 6:9) and a prophet with a widow's scraps (1 Kings 17:12). You slew a giant with a homemade sling (1 Samuel 17:48-50), and ruthless aggressors with a donkey's jawbone (Judges 15:15).
Lord, help us to stand in faith from where we are. Help us not to wait for some indefinite time when we have "enough"—enough time, enough money, enough courage, enough faith, enough skills.
Help us today to offer our all on the altar of sacrifice—to freely scatter our gifts (Psalm 112:9). Help us to generously share time, resources, faith, encouragement, blessings. Help us to willingly pour our little into Your streams of mercy—the pennies in our piggy bank, the sardines in our lunchbox, the scrapings in our reservoir, the crude tools in our toolbelt—and watch them overflow by Your power—into rivers of blessing and channels of abundance.
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