Wordy Wednesday: Part 2

It's a miracle, I actually remembered that I left a thought hanging last week!  Woo hoo!

Does everyone remember this image?  If you need to go back and read the first part, here it is.




So, you'll remember from last week, that I saw this image, and showed it to my kids.

And in my "Wordy Wednesday" post, I was emphasizing that sometimes, we are standing empty handed, wondering how long we'll be "in between" things.  Feeling like the very best thing in our life has been taken, and we've been left empty handed.

 The second thing that struck me about this image, was the size difference in the two bears. The bear the girl has is small, and the one Jesus has for her is HUGE. And wouldn't you know, our bible story for that day was about the boy with the loaves and fishes!  Kees and I talked about how God can take something small, a very meager offering, and turn it into something so much more. 

 I'm only 31.  I've had limited life experience, but I have learned one thing. If we give anything up in good faith, and we're trusting God, then we can be CERTAIN, he will make good come out of it.  Like the boy with his lunch, he was willing to share, and Jesus took 5 loaves and 2 fishes and fed 5,000 people.  If any one of us tried the same thing, it wouldn't be enough food! That's what God can do, he can take something small, inconsequential and do something huge!  So even if the offering that God is asking you to give, seems small, and you hesitate to even bother, realize it isn't what you give, but WHOSE name you're giving in.  It isn't the amount or the quality of the gift that matters. It's more about us learning to trust the one we're truly giving to, knowing that HE has a plan, and it's good.


Here's a few verses that came to my mind....

<sup>Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)

"14</sup> For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[c] in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."



2 Corinthians 9:6-15  (NIV)

⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”^[a]

¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. ¹³ Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴ And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!