Good Morning Sunshine! God Is Honoring What Cost You Something!

Mark 12:41–44 (NIV) ~ “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.’”

2 Samuel 24:24 (KJV) ~ “Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing.”

In Mark 12, Jesus contrasted the giving of the wealthy with the poor widow’s two coins. Though her gift was small in human eyes, Jesus declared it greater than the others because she gave all she had. God’s principle shines clearly here: He is not impressed with what costs us nothing. He delights in offerings that stretch our faith, demand our trust, and reflect our surrender.

Every fire needs fuel. Sparks alone cannot sustain flames. In the natural, you need wood, oil, or sacrifice to keep a fire burning. In the spiritual, the fire of God also falls where there is fuel, on altars, on obedience, on sacrifice. God does not ignite empty spaces. He asks for something to work with, and often that “something” is what costs us the most.

From Genesis to Revelation, we see the same pattern: God moves when people bring Him what they have. Elijah prepared an altar. A boy gave loaves and fish. Servants filled jars with water. Moses stretched his staff. A widow offered two coins. In each case, the act of giving became the fuel for God’s fire. What may seem small in our hands becomes abundance in His, but it requires obedience, surrender, and faith.

These last l5-days of devotionals were meant to invite you to ask yourself, “What are you giving God to work with? Are you offering Him your leftovers, or are you offering Him your best, did it cost you something? Because fire doesn’t fall on empty altars. It falls on sacrifice.

Follow me along with this story. There was a charity fundraiser, and people were invited to give as they felt led. Some wrote checks with many zeros but hardly noticed the difference in their bank accounts. Then a young girl stepped forward with a single dollar bill, crumpled and worn. It was all she had. To the world, the dollar seemed insignificant compared to the thousands given. But in heaven’s economy, that dollar outweighed the rest because it was everything she possessed. God’s eyes are never on the size of the gift but on the sacrifice behind it. The widow’s offering teaches you a powerful truth about how God measures differently than man. The smallest offering can outweigh the largest when given in faith. What you deem little may be abundance in God’s hands, if you are willing to surrender it.

The widow’s offering reveals that heaven’s scales are not balanced by quantity but by quality of sacrifice. While others gave from their abundance, she gave from her lack. This shows us that the value of a gift is not what it is worth on paper but what it costs in faith and surrender. David understood this principle when he said in 2 Samuel 24:24, “I will not offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing.” True worship always costs something. Whether time, finances, pride, or comfort, sacrifice is the soil where God’s fire falls.

Her two coins looked insignificant, but they became an eternal testimony. Generations later, we still preach about her faith. This is the multiplication of obedience: God takes what seems small and makes it thunder across eternity. Nothing surrendered is ever wasted. The widow’s offering aligns with Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians 8:12: “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.” God never demands what you don’t have; He only requires faithfulness with what you do. Her coins were acceptable because they were surrendered willingly and completely. When you give God what costs you, you are declaring your trust in Him as Provider. Philippians 4:19 promises, “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” The widow gave her livelihood and, in doing so, placed herself fully in the hands of her faithful God.

This principle is echoed in Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.” She gave little, but her return was eternal, abundant, and far beyond earthly measures. Her act also reminds us of Abel’s offering in Hebrews 11:4: “By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.” God honors offerings given in faith, even when they appear small. Every surrendered offering breaks the grip of self-reliance. It forces you to lean on God. When you give what costs you, you are making room for God’s supernatural provision. When you withhold, you remain dependent on your own limited supply.

You must remember that God doesn’t need what you give, He desires your heart. Sacrifice reveals love. John 3:16 declares, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” Heaven’s greatest gift was costly. If God did not withhold His Son, how can we withhold from Him? Sacrifice fuels revival. The early church grew not because of great wealth, but because believers gave generously, even selling possessions, to care for one another (Acts 4:34–35). Their willingness to release what they carried became fuel for the fire of the gospel. Your sacrifice today may not look like coins in a temple treasury, but it could be your time in prayer, your obedience to forgive, your financial giving, or your willingness to step into ministry when it stretches you. Whatever costs you something, when surrendered, becomes seed for God’s fire. The widow’s two coins preach across centuries, your offering matters to God. It may be overlooked by people, but heaven records every sacrifice. What you place in His hands, no matter how small, He multiplies for His glory.

Let’s Pray:

Father, thank You for teaching me through the widow’s offering that You see beyond the amount to the heart. You honor sacrifice, faith, and trust more than outward display. I bring myself before You today with all I carry, and I surrender it as my offering. Forgive me for the times I gave from convenience instead of sacrifice. Forgive me for offering You what cost me nothing while withholding what was costly. Lord, I desire to give You offerings that reflect my love and faith in You. Like David declared in 2 Samuel 24:24, help me never to give offerings that cost me nothing. May my time, my worship, my resources, and my devotion be given in a way that proves my trust in You above all else. Thank You for the promise of Philippians 4:19, that You will supply all my needs according to Your riches in glory. Even when I feel empty, You are faithful to fill. Even when I give out of my lack, You are able to sustain me with more than enough. Lord, remind me that the measure I use is the measure returned to me (Luke 6:38). When I give generously, You promise to give back in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. Help me to live with open hands, trusting in Your abundance. Strengthen me to release even what feels like my “last two coins.” May I trust that nothing given to You is wasted. Teach me to walk in the faith of the widow, knowing that my small offering, when surrendered, is multiplied for Your glory. I recall the early church in Acts 4:34–35, who gave sacrificially so none would lack. Lord, let that same spirit of generosity rise in me. Let my life testify that when I release, You provide. Father, I offer my talents, my finances, my energy, and my heart as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). Let them be holy and acceptable in Your sight. Burn away selfishness, and let my giving be fueled by love for You. Thank You, Lord, that You see me. Just as You saw the widow drop her two coins, You see every prayer, every sacrifice, and every gift I release to You. My offering may seem small to others, but You measure by surrender, not size. Lord, I ask for the grace to obey quickly when You call me to give. Remove hesitation, remove fear, and replace it with faith. Remind me that sacrifice always precedes fire, and giving always precedes overflow. Help me to believe, like Abel in Hebrews 11:4, that by faith my offering speaks even after it is given. Let my life and sacrifice leave a testimony of obedience that outlives me. Fill me with boldness to trust that You, Jehovah Jireh, are my provider. Just as You sustained Israel in the wilderness, sustain me as I release what I carry. Father, I lift my offering, my heart, my all, into Your hands today. Multiply it, use it, and let it fuel the fire of revival in my life and in the lives of those around me. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Nugget:

God does not measure by size but by sacrifice. What costs you something becomes fuel for His fire, and what you release in faith, He multiplies for His glory.

Blessings…

Love, Dr. Jean

Have A Blessed Weekend