We are the worker bees, buzzing along through life, trying to make ends meet, trudging through yet another week, not unlike the one preceding, or the one soon to follow. We are the young mothers with little ones constantly in need of being fed, diapered, or nose wiped, and whose only meaningful daily conversation is answering the why's, how's, and what's of her little brood. We are the senior adults who after years of service to family, church, business, and community, now find themselves sequestered by their own frailty.
Should we measure our significance through the eyes of man, or the eyes of God? Society in general only rewards grand accomplishments with its highest praise. Consider this; have you ever had a tiny pebble stuck in your shoe on a hike, got a paper cut on your finger while sealing an envelope, or been regaled by a swarm of gnats, ants, or yellow jackets at a picnic? Hmmm. It might be worth a few moments pondering. While these examples may seem insignificant, they are only insignificant when they happen to someone besides you!
Matthew 17:20b says, "if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you." If you have ever seen a mustard seed, you realize how tiny they are, about 1/16th of an inch in diameter, smaller even than a poppy seed. God certainly recognizes their significance, as do I for the flavor they add to ham and cheese hoagies.
One of my favorite stories from the Bible is that of the widow's mite. In it, Jesus was teaching in the temple in Jerusalem. He was seated opposite the treasury, where people placed their offerings. He observed the rich putting in large sums of money, when a poor widow came and placed two coins, the smallest denomination used by the Jews. Their value in today's economy was probably somewhat equal to one or two pennies. Jesus took notice and said to his disciples, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”
Wow! In God's eyes, the public offerings of the rich paled in comparison to the sacrificial one made by the poor widow. I imagine her being embarrassed by her offering, wishing she had more to give. Maybe she hid the coins in the palm of her hand. Before she gently dropped them in the treasury box, she might have looked around, hoping no one would notice the "insignificant" amount she gave.
But our God who sees and knows everything, including the motivation of our hearts, counted such value to the widow's tiny offering that He recorded it in His Word. Its very inclusion in our Bible is testimony throughout eternity of our extreme significance to Him. Don't question it! Embrace it!
Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. - Colossians 3:17 (NASB)
Copyright 2017 Charlotte Laney
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