This article is written by my friend, Lawrence Cecil. He does a great job!!
Frequent struggles in this world distract and pre-occupy individuals away from God, focusing instead upon the physical. However, ignoring the physical in favor of faith is how God calls Christians to walk. In Mark 12:41-44 Jesus taught in the temple, speaking of the poor widow’s offering; “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.”, (KJV).
Here we see a widow woman obviously financially struggling, having no husband, perhaps no family either for help, gave with motivation from her heart. Her resolve certainly, as a woman of faith, knew her very life was in God’s hands and still gave two mites, (a farthing). Smith’s Bible Dictionary defines a Mite as “a coin current in Palestine in the time of our Lord. It seems in Palestine to have been the smallest piece of money (worth about one-fifth of a cent), being the half of the farthing, which was a coin of very low value. From St. Marks explanation, “two mites, which makes a farthing, verse 42, it may perhaps be inferred that the farthing was the commoner coin.”
Matthew 6:24-25 Jesus said “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore, I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” Additionally, Jesus teaching in Matthew 6:33 says “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Perhaps the widow woman Jesus spoke of in Mark 12:41 recalled how God fed thousands in there Exodus from Egypt in the desert, (Exodus Chapter 16), or out of obedience Peter in John 21:6 was directed to cast out their nets on the right side of their boat, and their nets were filled. These are all examples of action directed by faith, and not sight.
Habakkuk 2:4 says “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by faith.” The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, (By Warren W. Wiersbe, Pg. 1473, Habakkuk 2:4-5), says “The contrast here is between people of faith and people who arrogantly trust themselves and leave God out of their lives. The immediate application was to the Babylonians.” Therefore, the widow woman of Mark 12:41-44, a woman of faith, trusted God for her substance rather than trusting in trusting in herself and gave from what little she had, being obedient to God’s command of tithing, giving from the heart rather by her abundance. The Apostle Paul wrote in Hebrews 11:6 saying “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Therefore, these examples and teaching in scripture represent principles of walking and living by faith after Jesus Christ, not in trusting in the resources of your own hands.
Another principle of the faith walk is found in John 14:21 where Jesus speaking to his disciples says “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him.” Having Jesus manifest himself in our life is something which occurs as we keep his directives and commandments. Additionally, modifying our behavior, speech, motives, thoughts brings us in line with Jesus’s word through the power of his word and the Holy Spirit’s help, (John 14:26). As we walk by faith after Jesus, his promise is to grant eternal life, (John 17:3), and to manifest himself to us, (John 14:21). Through Jesus’s word and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we should look for God’s manifestation in our life even in great and small ways. Hebrews 11:1 the Apostle Paul told us “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” There have been many instances in my personal life where I have had both small and great needs and am confident, my heavenly Father knows my needs before I can bring it to him in prayer. Sometimes, it’s not something I really need, by just a desire; each time wondering if to myself if it is something the Lord would want for my life. In these instances, I found it was something I didn’t even bring to God in prayer, officially. However, God being a loving Father, knowing what I have need of before I even ask, decided to bless my life with my desire. Matthew 6:33 says “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
However, the timing and circumstances leading toward any blessing is always in God’s control, whether it be of financial, food, security, protection, clothing, transportation etc., all things will be added unto you. One thing I’ve realized in knowing God through the years is that he loves to surprise us with his blessings. God loves to bless his children as we walk in faith, which is pleasing to him. For example, the exodus by the nation Israel from Egypt across the desert was a total walk of faith, and scriptures record of great manifestations by God providing all there needs. Certainly, the nation Israel was pleasantly surprised at the parting of the Red Sea and the destruction of their enemies or the feeding of the thousands with manna or water flowing from a rock. Unfortunately, instead of their faith increasing, they found themselves complaining for more, which displeased God. As parents, offering gifts to our children on Christmas morning, how would we feel if all we heard was objections, complaints and rejection. Would we not feel as God must have felt by the complaints from the nation Israel? Therefore, blessings and manifestations of God whether substantive or not, should bring God praise and glory while strengthening our faith, as certainly the widow woman in Mark 14:41 saw in her own life as God manifested himself to her.
Sometimes when we look at our own life’s journey and trials we might encounter, we think, why me Lord, what have I done wrong? However, asking such a question comes not from faith or trust, but is exactly the complaining the nation Israel did in the desert, rather than expecting through faith to see God’s manifestation. This should be obvious to those walking in faith because our heavenly Father knows our needs before we ever bring it to his attention. Therefore, we should be strong in our confidence and faith in God, praising and thanking him for his love.
Lawrence Cecil – 11/11/2019
Leave a Reply