July 28, 2004

[Rev. Doc]

Our Offerings To God

"As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 'I tell you the truth,' he said, 'this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
Luke 21:1-4

It is true, one can never outgive God. Yet, of everything we have, what are we willing to hand over to Him?

It was many centuries ago in a remote village in India. Word began to spread that something was about to happen that no one had seen in there lifetime the prince was coming to visit their forgotten little village.

Everyone was excited but no one was more excited than the village beggar. Every day he eked out another day by sitting by the road with his little cup, hoping to get enough money to buy the rice to live one more day. He actually had two cups one for collecting money and one for his few grains of rice. But now the prince was coming the wealthy prince! When the prince finally arrived, the beggar mustered his most impassioned appeal - Alms! Alms for the poor! And the prince stopped. The beggar's heart was pounding furiously.

Give me your cup of rice. That was all the prince said. The beggar slumped down in disbelief. Here was the wealthiest man in the land, asking for his lousy little cup of rice. The beggar was about to refuse, but instead he reached in and he put three grains of rice in the prince's hand. The prince turned to his servant and said, Bring me the bag of gold. The beggar could hardly contain himself as he eagerly stretched out his empty collection cup. The prince reached into his bag and placed three grains of gold in the beggar's cup. And then he disappeared, never to return but leaving the beggar to wonder for the rest of his life . . . what would have happened if I had given him my whole cup of rice?

Prayer: Ask God to give you the strength not to hold anything back from Him, but to give all of yourself.

"Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; where your treasure is, there is your heart; where your heart is, there is your happiness. " ~Augustine.