Devotions – 2015.09.03
And your Father who sees in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6: 4.6.18
Three times this verse is found in Matthew 6. It shows how important this small thing is for us and our relationship with God. It speaks about the giving of alms, the sacrifice, then it comes to the hidden, silent prayer and then again to the fasting that pleases God. These are all things for which you can brag before men: See how good I am! I donate soooo much money!! I fast three times a week!!! And I can pray really well, that people are amaze !!!!
Jesus thinks differently. He knows God respects the small, the insignificant. He knows all the small, silent prayers and sighs. He knows our small sacrifice for others and for God. He knows what we forsake for Him. We do not need to tell anyone. It’s a secret between him and us.
Once Jesus was sitting at the treasury in the temple and saw the rich throw in a lot of money. And then he saw a widow who threw in only two small coins. He called his disciples and told them, ‘Truly, this woman has given more than everyone else. They gave a little of their abundance. But she gave her whole livelihood, even though she barely had enough to live on. (see Luke 21: 1 – 4).
This little thing was to God worthy of being immortalized in the Bible. Wherever the gospel is preached, this woman is also spoken about. God wants to show that those little things for him are unforgettable.
Two small coins, that’s not much for a huge temple. Not really worth mentioning. Because it needs large sums of money, not small cents. But God is building His kingdom from small things. HE looks for the small things to turn them into big things. All works that are now large, have started from scratch. All faith in us has also started from scratch. And then God can grow it, so that only he receives the honour and no man can boast. He is building His kingdom not by the strong and mighty, but by small people who are faithful to him.
We want to use our limited possibilities to His glory. We want to give, pray, forsake, so that it HE becomes large.
How fortunate that God never forgets our little sacrifices! We did not go in vain! Our effort was not in vain! He makes something out of it!
Thank you, Jesus, in you there is no forgetting. The smallest little things that I’ve done for you once, and I myself can not remember, you remember. You give me plenty back, you bless and protect, give yourself away in my hand. Where is there such a wonderful God?
Bible Reading Today: Psalm 119: 73-96