“And he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put  in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:43-44 NLT).

Jesus was observing people as they gave their offerings in the temple. Many who were wealthy were giving large sums.  But this poor widow cast in two copper coins worth only a penny.  That was quite a small sum compared to all the others.  But in the eyes of the Lord, what she gave was of greater value than anyone else because she gave everything that she had. 

Have you ever felt totally inadequate?  Have you ever felt that your talents, gifts, and abilities were so small in comparison to others that what you do and what you give is irrelevant and won’t make any difference?   Most everyone experiences this at one time or another.  After all, our adversary is constantly reminding us of our inadequacy!

It is important to remember that the Lord is the One who created us!  He is the One who has given us our abilities and resources.   He does not expect us to measure ourselves against others.   He simply wants us to offer unto Him that which we have.  This widow gave more than anyone else because she gave everything that she had.  She held nothing back.

Finding joy, fulfillment, and contentment in Christ, and in life,  begins by offering unto Him everything that we have.  In return, He offers unto us everything that He has!  That is a great exchange!  We become the greatest beneficiary!  While all that we have is small in comparison to the Lord, what He gives in exchange is immense!   We literally exchange our inadequacy for His adequacy!   We exchange our weakness for His strength.   We exchange our inability for His ability.  (Phil. 4:13).  The Lord takes that which is offered, and multiplies it and uses it for His glory!   And what is done is far greater than anything we could have possibly accomplished on our own! 

Rev. James W. Black

“How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord?  Forever?  How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?”   

Psalm 13:1 KJV

David was in a desperate situation.  King Saul and his army had surrounded  David and his small band of men in the wilderness. Although they had not yet been discovered, there was a real possibility that he, and all those who were with him, were going to die! (1 Sam. 23: 24-28).  He did not know what to do.    David had cried out to the Lord, but the Lord had not answered.

Have you ever been there?  If you haven’t, you will.  Life has a way of forcing us into difficult situations.  There are times when our circumstances can be overwhelming.   And in the midst of them, we can feel as if God has abandoned us!   Our adversary will certainly be quick to tell us that He has!   What can we do in those times?

We must learn to do what David did. We must choose to trust the Lord in spite of the circumstances. We must intentionally fix our eyes upon the Lord instead of the circumstances. (2 Chron. 29:12).  In the midst of this trial David declared:  “But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.  I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” (Ps. 13: 5-6 KJV).

Even though God had not yet answered, David believed that He would!  Because the Lord had answered in the past, David believed that He would somehow answer him now!  He continued to trust!  And he determined to sing praises to the Lord for his faithfulness both in the past and even now in the present! 

So, let us continue to trust in the Lord and continue to worship Him, honor Him, and walk with Him!  He has not abandoned us!  Nor has He forsaken us!  (Deut. 31:6, Heb. 13:5).  The Lord will answer at the best possible time!   And that time will be so amazing that He alone will get all the glory! 

Rev. James W. Black 

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even a he is pure.” (1 John 3:3 KJV).

In this passage, the Apostle John explains to the followers of Christ what our hope in Christ actually does for us.  If we have truly put our hope (our confident expectation)  and trust in Christ (that is knowing who He is and who we are in Him) then we are motivated to live a life that is a reflection of Christ. In other words, we will desire to live a godly life that represents Him to an unbelieving world.

That does not mean that we are perfect.  None of us are. But it does mean that we seek to honor the Lord to the best of our ability with His help.  It means that we surrender to the Holy Spirit and allow His fruit to be manifested in us and through us. (Gal. 5: 22-25).  And whenever we fail, and there are times when we all do,  we then do everything we can to make things right with the Lord and with others.  It means that we walk in humility before the Lord and before men; not boasting in ourselves, but boasting in Christ alone.

The NLT makes this very clear.  “And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3 NLT).  If we are hoping to see Jesus soon (and we will because life is short) then we will not be engaged in things that would dishonor Him or bring a reproach to His Name!  We will live in joyful expectation of His coming! 

Knowing that we will see Him soon motivates us to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord so that we will not be ashamed to see Him when He returns or when He calls us home! That is what our hope in Christ does for the redeemed people of God. 

Rev. James W. Black

“And Jesus said unto them, ‘I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me  shall never thirst.” 
John 6:35 KJV

Bread has been an important staple of life for thousands of years. There are few foods that are more satisfying than warm fresh bread!  Most people enjoy bread of some kind. One of the things that we do in the South when we hear that a snow event is coming is to go out and buy bread so that we will have bread to eat during the storm.  Bread fills, nourishes, and satisfies us.

Jesus made this statement about bread the day after  He had fed over 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish. (John 6: 1-13). The news of that miracle quickly spread throughout the region. Many more people had now come out to see and hear Him.  Some hoping,  perhaps,  to also be given free bread.

This time, however,  instead of providing them with free physical bread that is only temporary, He offered them bread that would last forever.    Jesus offered them Himself!  Jesus wanted them to know that He had come to do more than satisfy their physical hunger. He had come to fill and satisfy the emptiness of their soul.   

What Jesus offered to them, He still offers to us!   He offers us Himself!  Jesus alone fills the emptiness of our heart.  We were created to be filled with the joy of His abundant life!  We were created to know Him and to fellowship with Him!   Unlike the natural bread, Jesus never grows stale.  His Life is always fresh and new each day! 

It was no accident that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. (Luke 2:4). The meaning of Bethlehem is “House of Bread”.  It was a declaration,  from the very beginning,   of His purpose for entering our world.   He came to offer us only what He can offer.  That is eternal life.   May each of us “taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8).