COLLECTION BOX FOR OFFERING

SATURDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2022

A collection box for offerings has been a long-time symbol of an encounter with superior and sovereign Deity. It is where the unseen "open door" transactions are carried out. In addition, it is where God weighs or assesses the level of our submission to Him as Lord, the nature of our dedication to Him, as well as how important we value Him.

Today we have all manner or other forms and means of giving offerings to God both online and offline transactions. But the point is this: Every act of giving in the house of God is a premeditated action because it happens with a view in mind and a decision from the heart. And guess what! Jeremiah 17:10 (NLT) reads, "But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve."

Reference: Mark 12:41 Common English Bible (CEB) "Jesus sat across from the collection box for the temple treasury and observed how the crowd gave their money. Many rich people were throwing in lots of money. One poor widow came forward and put in two small copper coins worth a penny."

Why did Jesus sit near the offering box and what was He doing there? He wasn't really after the amount being dropped in the collection box, although enormous amount is of paramount importance. Jesus as the Lord of all, was trying their hearts and examining the anxious thoughts going on in some people's mind at that point in time. To Him, it was an opportunity for divine insight into the attitude of diverse minds in relation to giving. So the Lord searched the widow's hearts without her knowledge and swiftly understood her situation plus every intent of her thoughts.

What did Jesus do next? He called His disciples to Himself and said, "I assure you that this poor widow has put in more than everyone who's been putting money in the treasury. All of them are giving out of their spare change. But she from her hopeless poverty has given everything she had, even what she needed to live on" (Mark 12:43-44 CEB). What a moment! Although others made large contributions out of their surplus, meaning that they gave what they would never miss or what would never affect them in any way, the poor widow was distinctive in the sense that she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford again from the limited human standpoint. In a nutshell, she gave her all.

Beloved, what we give, our intentional motives and how we follow through on our commitment to giving, are valid tests of our love for God. Why did Jesus not feel any sympathy for this widow? It's because she had opened the door of her supernatural visitation, ready to exit the world of lack. So Jesus commended her because she had engaged a type of transition beyond human understanding. Even when the worshippers in the temple didn't understand this, she was at a dead end but with her last penny, she created by faith the opportunity to move from "there's no way out" to the realm of "unlimited possibilities." Indisputably, there was a sense of hope that something better on the other side of the supernatural would catch up with her, as she stepped out of the temple empty-handed.

Your sacrificial offering is a needful venture especially when it comes to a boundary or point at which two realms are obviously appreciable, like a dividing line between the world of lack and world of abundance. The church or Christian gathering is also where the two worlds come together in procession through a point of passage to the offering or collection box. However, crossing over or living above the limitation of lack can be done by paying an unusual price and making up one's mind to leave such life behind. Sometimes, significant growth or lasting change will not happen by just a one-off sacrifice which can only represent a short transition; Consistent sacrificial giving will provoke a lasting change over time, granting access to extraordinary possibilities, superabundance and divine ideas leading to elevated financial status when utilised properly (see Galatians 6:9 NIV).

A Psalm of thanksgiving written by Ezra says, "They who sow in tears shall reap with joyful singing. He who goes back and forth weeping, carrying his bag of seed [for planting], will indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him" (Psalm 126:4-6 NIV). Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Deuteronomy 16:16-17; Proverbs 11:24; Luke 6:38; Acts 20:35; 2 Corinthians 9:6.

Guided Prayer: Heaven Father, I thank you for granting me the wisdom of giving heartfelt offerings in your house, which denotes a blessed life filled with eternal joy and love for your Lordship. Father, you desire my free-will offerings because you always bless the works of my hand; You increase my earnings, my financial gains, my investments and all my produce. Therefore, I appreciate your goodness and favour upon my life by giving generously in proportion to the blessings I receive from you in Jesus' Name, Amen!