The word “thanksgiving” is made up of two words – thanks and giving, which means giving thanks. We gather around our tables, thankful for friends and family and delicious food. This year I thought of the families who lost everything – their homes, possessions, cars, jobs. Many lost their loved ones. Those in west North Carolina are struggling to keep warm in temporary housing or tents. I am thinking about them as I prepare for guests tomorrow, and my friend at Salvation Army sent me a link so that 100% of my giving would go to help the survivors of Hurricane Helene. If you would like to send some hope, here is the link: https://give.helpsalvationarmy.org/give/166081/#!/donation/checkout
Prayer
Thank you, Father God, for friends, family, comfortable homes and delicious food. Bless our time together, and help those who cannot help themselves today. Bless those who offer helping hands and food and love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents” (Mark 12:41-42). He went on to say the rich gave out of their wealth, but the widow gave out of her poverty–all she had to live on. How could she do that? Give all she had to live on? She could be generous because she knew her Lord would provide for her. She had a strong faith, and this is the faith of the early church. It is one of the the reasons pagans gave the followers of The Way the name Christians.
The Roman Empire required everyone to participate in the imperial cult and to burn incense. The Christians refused to do so and for that they had their property confiscated. They were persecuted, jailed and some were even killed. During their persecution, they did an amazing thing. “Agabus prophesied that there would be a famine throughout the Roman world. The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for their brothers and sisters living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul” (Acts 11:28-30).
The kingdom of God is generous in poverty and in persecution. It is like mustard seed when it is scattered. It keeps growing in ways very different from the world we live in. When times get tough, it is tempting to hang on to what we got. But Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38). God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22). We don’t need to budget our blessings, because God gives to us out of the riches of His kingdom.
Prayer: Holy and gracious God, thank you for caring for us, for blessing us in ways we don’t understand. Help us to live in light of your generosity and to follow your example by being generous. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Closer Walk with God 