January Devotional Sample

November 22nd, 2022

Scripture - Luke 21

Key Verse - 1-4

1 - As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.

2 - He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.

3 - "Truly I tell you," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others.

4 - 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 begins with a moment where Jesus witnesses two people of different economic status give their offerings to the temple (church). The rich gave gifts (likely of high value) while a poor widow gave two copper coins. If we translate that in US dollars, the rich likely gave gifts of $50+ dollars while the widow gave $2.

Despite the large difference in monetary value between the rich's gift and the widow's copper coin, Jesus declares that the poor widow's has put in more than all the other. Jesus would explain that the rich gave the excess of their wealth (they gave it because they had extra money to give), but yet the widow gave out all that she had (even though she needed it).

Jesus shares with us a clearly that our offering to God shouldn't be about how much we give monetarily, but it should be based on the giving of our hearts. I believe Jesus is challenging the rich people in the passage by asking them: "If you were in a position where you didn't have "extra" money to give, would you still give an offering to God?"

I am reminded through this passage, that we are called to give with our hearts. And we also remember that all the we have is because of God, so really giving an offering is not that we are giving what is ours to God, but we are giving to God what is already His.

I remember to put God first in my giving.