Cast All Your Living In
“And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” Mark 12:41-44
Don’t miss the significance of the language in the story about the widow with two mites. Jesus honored her for giving “ALL HER LIVING” to the treasury – as tiny as the monetary value was – instead of the people who were so much better off who merely gave of their excess. ALL HER LIVING was all she had to live on, but those same words used in the King James version can mean to us today our lifestyle, our way of life, our very lives! The Greek word βίος or bios, translated into ALL HER LIVING, includes in its definition per Strong’s concordance “life, manner of life, livelihood” and per Thayer’s “the period or course of life.” Are we giving Christ ALL OUR LIVING – or just the excess of our lives?
Don’t miss HOW she gave. She CAST all her living into the treasury. She didn’t begrudgingly, with reluctance and resistance, moaning, pitying herself, complaining, her heart heavy, grieving, whining, with strings attached, put ALL HER LIVING into the treasury, desperately not wanting to, hoping she could get it all back, with her hand barely able to let go, clutching onto ALL HER LIVING for dear life, begging God to not make her give it up, demanding something in return. She CAST all her living in!!!! Cast comes from the Greek βάλλω, or balló, which per Strong’s is “throw” and per Thayer’s in this context means “without force and effort; to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls.” She CAST it.
Have you given God ALL of your life? Your WHOLE way of life? Your lifestyle? Your heart? Thoughts? Trust? Desires? Decisions? Attitude? Attention? Actions? Everything? Without holding anything back? Without regret or remorse? Have you professed Jesus as Lord? Do you live like He is truly your Lord, or are you lord of your life? Are you holding anything back? Is your life yours – or Christ’s? Have you with great faith, love and thanksgiving CAST ALL YOUR LIVING into God’s hands? Without resistance or regret? God’s Spirit convicts and chastens me when I don’t CAST ALL MY LIVING into His hands, He forgives me when I repent, and He reminds me there is nothing more beautiful and glorious than Him. Oh, to cast myself into His hands and live utterly for Him!
Don’t resist His Spirit. CAST ALL YOUR LIVING into His hands!