On a walk with some children one day, Queen Victoria was caught in a sudden downpour. Quickly taking shelter on the porch of a nearby cottage, she knocked at the door, asking to borrow an umbrella.
“I’ll send it back tomorrow,” the queen promised.
The lady who owned the cottage eyed the stranger standing at her door somewhat suspiciously. The queen, desiring to enjoy an uninterrupted, private walk with the children, had deliberately disguised her appearance by wearing very plain clothing and a hat which partly covered her face.
Reluctant to give an unknown, rather unremarkable-appearing stranger her newly purchased umbrella, the lady went to her attic and found an old dusty umbrella with a broken rib and several holes in it. With a muttered apology she handed the decrepit umbrella to her unrecognized monarch.
The next day she had another visitor this time a man wearing a splendid uniform with gold braid. He held the umbrella in one hand and an envelope in the other.
“The queen sent me with this letter,” he said, adding, “and she also asked me to return your umbrella and personally thank you for the loan of it.”
The woman was stunned and then burst into tears. “Oh! what an opportunity I have missed. To think that I could have given Her Majesty my very best.”
The widow of Zarephath was gathering two sticks that she might prepare one last meal before she and her son perished from starvation. Elijah, God’s prophet, asked that she give to him first an impossible request for mere nature to obey. But he added words so precious to faith fear not. She obeyed, putting the man of God first, and received a constant supply to meet her needs until the famine ended (see 1 Kings 17:10-1610So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. 11And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. 12And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. 13And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. 14For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. 15And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. 16And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah. (1 Kings 17:10‑16)).
In Mark 14, a woman guided by heart-love for Christ and a Spirit-directed sense of the worship due Him, broke an alabaster flask of costly ointment and poured it on His head she gave her best. The heedless disciples responded by speaking “very angrily at her” (vs. 5 JND). But the Creator of the universe, God manifest in flesh, defends her: “Let her alone.... She hath done what she could.” He appreciated and accepted that act of worship which His hardhearted disciples despised.
The poor widow in Luke 21 cast a mere “two mites” into the temple treasury, but the Lord of glory saw her giving and knew that, in love, she had given all she had. He valued her gift above all the riches and wealth presented by others.
Where affections and faith are engaged with Christ, every act, however unappreciated by men, is perfectly valued and fully honored by Himself. Let us give nothing less than our very best to Him who alone is worthy. When, for the first time, we see His blessed face, none will be sorry that they gave all first and best to our blessed, glorious Lord. Now we have the opportunity of giving from a full heart of love, by faith. May we not pass up such privileges!
Ed.