Have you ever felt like you have nothing left to give to God? Or maybe you’ve felt like what you do have to give Him is inconsequential in comparison to what you see someone else giving Him…
I imagine that’s exactly how the widow felt in this passage. Can we just imagine for a minute what was going through her head as she stood in the temple watching others give their offerings?
Picture the crowds of rich people, probably adorned in beautiful clothing, tossing large sums of money into the temple treasury. Can you hear the loud sound of all the coins they toss in as they carelessly walk away, without a worry about their ability to eat a meal or buy whatever they need later that day?
With that picture in mind, I think it would have been so easy for the widow to talk herself out of giving that day. Can you imagine the embarrassment she may have felt as her two little coins hit the treasury and made a small clinking noise, compared to the loud noises the sums of the other people’s giving would have made? She could have easily talked herself out of giving, knowing she was a widow who really truly needed the money in order to support herself and have food to eat. She could have just walked away, ignoring the whispers of the people she passed by as they commented on her ragged clothing, late husband, and sad situation. It would have been easier to just walk away and pocket the money, feeling like her offering was insignificant compared to the others, but she made a CHOICE to still give, despite all these things.
If you believe you have nothing left to give to God today, that is a lie. Instead of feeling like you have nothing to give, like you’re bucket is empty and barren, offer God today what you DO have to give, no matter how small or trivial it feels. Don’t fall into the comparison trap and see what other people are giving Him, because God looks at each individual heart and situation, just as He did with the widow.
In it’s literal meaning, this passage refers to financial giving, but there are many other ways we can give to God including how we spend our time, or even how we use our talents and gifts. What I think is so special and moving about this passage is that God noticed the one who had the least, but gave the most. He was not upset with the rich people who gave, as far as we can tell, but the widow was the one who stood out to Him.
God is looking at your life today, just as he sat in the temple back then, watching the offerings being made to Him. He wants to see what you give, out of what He has given to you. Give him YOUR all and be comforted knowing that just as He was watching in the temple, He is looking over you today, just waiting for you to use the gifts/time/talents/money He has given you for His glory, no matter how small your gift may feel to you. He sees you.
In the Stillness 