April 26, 2005

[Rev. Doc]

What Would You Give?

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."
2 Corinthians 8:9

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 their 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 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 the Lord to help you surrender all to Him.

"I have tried to keep things in my hands and lost them all, but what I have given into God's hands I still possess."
~Martin Luther