To ask the Lord to make in us – me – a repentant heart that desires to know, love, and serve Him in all things – and to love neighbor and self as He loves neighbor and self. Help me to put my trust and faith in Your increase and not my offering, Your consuming fire and not my sacrifice. In this devotional, my aim is to point out the principal problem of those lacking faith. So often we choose to believe in ourselves instead of God.
Scripture:
“Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
~ Mark 9:23-24
The Widow’s Two Mites
And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”
~Luke 21:1-4
Reflection:
The Lord Jesus promises His Spirit will teach me in the very hour of my need exactly what I am to say and do – and what He does not teach I need not do. Is that another way to say I place my faith in His ability to speak rather than in my ability to hear? Is that another way to say when I acknowledge Him in all my ways He will acknowledge me before the Father?
But is it only punishment and reward? If I repent – if I keep admitting I have nothing when He is not my everything – will He be so thrilled He will teach me all things because I have pleased Him? I believe if I REPENT – if in my poverty and imperfection I submit myself to Him – I will be so thrilled to find He was teaching me all things all along and I was too self-absorbed to permit it.
Prayer:
I believe, Lord; help my unbelief. Just like You did with the father of the demonized boy. He asked if You could help and You asked where his faith had gone. He gasped and shouted at the same time, “I believe, Lord; help my unbelief.” He had nothing to give but his unbelief and when he gave it as an offering he found he had given all he had. Like the widow who gave the two coins – all she had – in the Temple. And the Lord received the offering not because it was perfect but because it was perfectly all the father of the demonized boy had, as the two mites were perfectly all the widow had. Is it just that? Do You want all I have – whether it is a lot or a little?
Lord, sometimes my doubt is all I have. You said to bring it and me to You. Behold, I am coming.
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
~Matthew 28:16-17
Continue in prayer using the 4 prayer points as the Lord leads you.
