“Leftovers…”

Giving is a very serious thing to the Lord, and it should be to us. The amount of the gift is not the thing that is important, but God wants your best. In the Bible, Luke 21:1-4 tells the sweet story of the little widow who went to the Temple. Jesus was standing there watching. He watched as the rich dumped in their gold and silver in huge amounts. But then came the little widow woman who gave her two tiny mites. Jesus said that she gave more than all the rest. It was because “she had given her best.” But some people are stingy with God. They can give, but they just want to appease their conscience. They give God their “leftovers.” Their heart is not in their giving.

My mother was a saint. She was the most giving person with her tiny little monthly check, more than anyone else I know. She never turned anyone away. She was a devout “tither” and gave all she had. She could almost “walk on water,” and although she has gone to be with the Lord, I love her just as if she were still here. But one thing she did, that I could never get over, was that she never threw anything away. I could look in the refrigerator and see 1/2 cup of something that she “just could not throw out.” I think she felt guilty. But she would always put that “tiny little leftover stuff” from that cup on the table. I was just a kid, but I remember thinking “that might be a week old, and if I eat that, I might get sick!” Ha.

Sometimes, Christians are like that too. They give God their “leftover time.” They give him their “leftover money.” And they give God their “leftover love!” God does not want your leftovers. When you give God your best, he gives you His best! Read Deuteronomy 28:3-13. This is how God will bless you, if you give Him your best! Have a sweet day!

Sherry