Today I return to my warm and sunny Florida Keys after traveling for the past week, but I’m returning with something extra. Something so special and so extremely valuable. Let me tell you about the gift I was given while traveling.
Yesterday, I met a man named Steve. Steve was a successful business man for 35 years and while on a mission trip to Venezuela, God saved his life from a deadly snake and then spoke to him in a voice he could not ignore. The voice of the Lord told him he would feed the hungry and house the orphans. He had never done either.
That was 25 years ago, and he now runs an organization called SERV International which produces millions of meals for starving people, rescues abandoned children out of the bush in Africa, and has changed the trajectory of an entire village through the power of Jesus. Their work is truly inspiring.
Steve is just an ordinary man who gets overly excited when telling the stories about each of the children he loves so much in his orphanage, and choked up when telling the stories of God’s invitation to work with him and watch the impossible unfold.
In Steve’s office, there’s a shelf where a small, handmade, straw broom sits. It fit in with all the other unique pieces from Africa, but this was special. Steve then told me the story of the broom:
At a church service in this desperate and destitute African village, they created an altar for the offerings of the people. A widowed woman came forward and laid this small, handmade, straw broom on the altar. It was literally all she had.
Let that set in for a moment. She was so moved by the Word of God and the hope offered by Jesus, she gave her broom when it was the only thing she had to give.
I crumbled hearing this story. Oh how selfish and self-serving I am. I have so much and offer so little while patting myself on the back for being a good person.
I’m immediately reminded of the woman Jesus witnessed making an offering in the temple. Mark 12: 41-44, “Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”
What happens when you give to God? I’m going to tell you what happens and it’s very literal. YOU OPEN THE STOREHOUSES OF HEAVEN.
Proverbs 19:17, “Whoever is KIND to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” I believe that for one reason and one reason only – it’s God’s word. I don’t believe it because some fancy preacher on TV has told me I’ll be blessed if I send money. I don’t believe it because I’m playing a game to see how much I can get out of the deal. I believe it because it’s God’s word and God’s word DOES NOT FAIL.
God sees everything we do and he knows our heart. He knows when we’re being kind for show and when we’re being kind because of love. He knows the intent behind everything we do and give, and when we’re truly doing it for the Lord, he personally rewards us. All God ever wants is our heart to be fully aligned with his, and when our heart gets in the right place, our hands naturally open and you just can’t keep them closed.
I promise you this, God doesn’t need your money. He owns absolutely everything in this world. If he needed your money, he could take it away from you in an instant and use it as he wished. God doesn’t even need your works. He has an army of Angels who could do the work better than you. But he does desire your heart,