Two Small Copper Coins

God often has a different way of looking at things than we do, particularly when it comes to what we have to give. It’s easy for us to obsess over the size of a gift but God is focused on something deeper. Take a moment to reflect on the words of Jesus from Mark 12:41-44 (ESV),

41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Who was it that caught the eye of our Lord Jesus in this story? Was it those putting large sums of money into the offering box? No, on the contrary, it was a poor widow. In comparison she had very little to give, just two small copper coins, but those two small copper coins mattered to Jesus. They symbolized something more valuable than money. They symbolized a heart of faith and generosity that was dependent on God. You see, with God, the size of our heart matters more than the size of our gift.

Faith is the currency that matters most to God. God wants you to depend on Him and He also wants to work through you. It doesn’t matter how much money, skills, power, or popularity you have. Take whatever you have today, though it be small, even if it’s just two small copper coins and trust God with it all. You’ll be amazed how much God can do with a willing heart. Do you remember the words of that old hymn?

Little is much when God is in it
Labor not for wealth or fame
There's a crown, and you can win it
If you go in Jesus' name

Choose Kindness

Here’s a little bit of history that might just warm your heart. There was a time in our country when, for either lack of money or material, people would repurpose the material from flour sacks to make clothes for their family. This was a common practice during the Great Depression and World War 2 era. In 1939, in Kansas, when the wheat mills realized that mothers were using their sacks to make clothes for children, they decided to do something incredibly kind. The wheat mills started printing floral designs on their flower sacks so that the children would have something nice to wear when the fabric was repurposed. Not only that, but they also made it so that the labels on the sacks could easily be washed out. They saw a need and chose kindness.

It’s not hard to choose kindness, and step outside of your normal routine to bless someone. Kindness is one of the simplest ways to show love. In many respects, kindness is love in action. If we open our eyes, I think we will see that God presents us with many opportunities to be kind each and every day. Here are a few verses that I think remind and encourage us to choose kindness.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
-Ephesians 4:32, ESV

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
-Proverbs 19:17, ESV

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
-1 Peter 3:9, ESV

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
-Galatians 6:10, ESV

Regardless of what’s on your schedule, where you are, or who you’re with, choose kindness today. Open your eyes to opportunities and open your heart to let God’s love work through you. Sometimes it’s the simple acts of kindness that make the biggest difference.

3 Rules for Everyday Life

I want to share a verse with you that gives three simple commands that guide us as we live out our faith in Jesus on a daily basis. In Romans 12:9 the Apostle Paul reminds us,

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”

Today, let your love be genuine. That means don’t pretend or put on a show. God wants us to show real and sincere love. What is that love? It’s a love that finds its source in God our maker. It’s a love displayed in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. It’s a love that transforms lives. It’s a love that is meant to be passed on. God wants you to really love someone today and you are able to do that because He really loves you. Let the love of God fill your cup full, all the way to the brim. Then may that love ever so gently spill over into someone else’s life today because that’s what happens when our cup is full. We love sincerely from the heart. Who do you need to love today?

Also, abhor what is evil. We are called to take the same perspective on evil that God has. We are to abhor it. Don’t be indifferent about what is sinful and destructive. When we allow evil things to creep into our life, we give the devil a foothold. Sin is not just a bad decision, it’s something when fully grown that leads to death. God wants us to release, run from, and repent of the evil in this world. Is there something that needs changing in your life today?

Finally, hold fast to what is good. Hang in there with God and persevere. Sometimes it feels like doing it God’s way isn’t worth it. We may become weary of doing good. Tighten your grip today. Don’t give up on God. He didn’t give up on you. Faith is the glue that helps us to stick with it. Has your faith been fading lately? Open your Bible and let God strengthen it. Where do you need to keep holding fast?

May these three commands from God guide you today.
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” -Romans 12:9, ESV

Saved by the Whale: God's Protection & Plans

In November of this year in the Netherlands, like something straight out of a movie, a Dutch train came flying off its tracks. But instead of plummeting thirty feet to ground, the train was miraculously caught and held aloft by the sculpture of a whale’s tail. The sculpture was put up in 2002 and given a most prophetic name, “Saved by the Whale’s Tail”. Thankfully, everyone got off the train safe and sound. Who would have expected a plastic sculpture nearly twenty years old could hold up a metro train?

This story reminds me of the prophet Jonah. These passengers were not the first ones to be saved by a whale. You remember the story. Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh and tried running from God. Jonah’s plan seemed to be working until God sent a storm to detour the ship Jonah was sailing on. Jonah realizing God was sending him a notice, decided to come clean to everyone on the ship. He told them to throw him overboard and the storm would cease. I would say in part because he did not want these other men to suffer, but also in part because if he drowned at sea he would certainly not have to go to Nineveh. So, they send Jonah headlong into the raging sea and the storm calms. The men on the ship are saved, but so was Jonah. God sent a whale to swallow Jonah. He was saved by the whale.

Why does God show us such grace and mercy? Why does He protect us from unforeseen disaster and even our own stubbornness? I think the answer is quite simple. God still has plans for our lives. Even though Jonah would just as well have cut his life short, God still had a plan for him and brought the reluctant prophet all the way to Nineveh. God still has a plan for all those that were miraculously saved on that train. Maybe you have your own stories of miraculous protection. If you are still here today, that means, God still has a plan for you. God has not brought you this far for you to do nothing. Count your blessings and follow God’s leading.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
-Ephesians 2:10, NIV