There are two passages assigned for today!

SCRIPTURE: Ezra 2
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
When they arrived at the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the family leaders made voluntary offerings toward the rebuilding of God’s Temple on its original site, and each leader gave as much as he could. [Ezra 2:68-69]
Have you ever wanted to contribute to a cause, but felt that what you gave was not enough?
You felt that you gave as much as you could, but were discouraged that the amount seemed small, insufficient?
These exiles were facing a huge and daunting task – the rebuilding of God’s temple – how could their gifts be enough?
But still they gave, not because they felt it was enough, but because they were eager to give… anything they could!
They gave voluntarily, out of their limited resources, because they were passionate about the cause.
For them, the temple was everything – the symbol of God’s love and purpose and blessing.

While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” [Luke 21:1-4]
Jesus highlights this poor woman and her ‘meagre’ gift because he sees her devotion in the few coins – she not only gave as much as she could, she gave all that she had!
Why would she do this, except that for her, the temple was the symbol of God’s love, purpose and blessing for her too; in her hard situation, her hope was in the presence and power of God.
She gave voluntarily, eagerly, of her limited resources, because she was passionate about the cause.
No doubt she felt the smallness of her gift, the inadequacy of her coins to make a difference.
But still she gave, with all her heart, out of her devotion and faith.
In contrast, Jesus suggests that the religious leaders were not giving out of devotion to God or His temple, but out of devotion to themselves and their public image.
They gave small portions in relation to their abundance, meagre gifts in light of their huge wealth.

God gauges the heart behind the gift, and sees the devotion of the giver over the size of the donation.
He knows whether we are devoted to the causes we support, or whether we are just giving out of a desire to look good or appease guilt.
With God, the size of the gift is secondary to the size of the heart!
Check your heart in this, how devoted are you to God’s love, purpose and blessing?
How committed am I to the kingdom of God, the mission of Jesus, the call to make disciples?
If the willingness is there, the gift will follow.

Look again at how Paul describes the devotion of the Macedonian believers:
Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. [2 Corinthians 8:1-5]
And compare this to how you give your gifts, how you support God’s cause…

PRAYER:
Lord, I want to overflow with rich generosity, to give beyond my ability, willingly, because I have first given my heart to You – just as You want me to do!