Thankful for prosperity
(by: Pastor James Scarborough, Donalsonville Assembly of God)

I rode through an area the other day that has undergone tremendous change in a relatively short amount of time. Where there once was very little activity a lot is taking place now- new businesses, eateries, lodging and all sorts of things have emerged. Just driving by, it looks like it has become a successful area. Or has it? That would probably depend on who you asked.

I will not make a judgment call or even express my opinion as to whether what I observed was prosperity or not, but I will borrow from that scene to say that our human idea of prosperity is usually much different from God's.

There are many places in Scripture that give us a picture of what God considers as success and prosperity in the lives of humanity. One of those is the poor widow in Mark 12. In this story, the rich were putting huge sums of money into the temple treasury, but this widow had only a small offering: "But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny" (verse 42, NIV). Those who had so much to offer probably paid her very little attention; perhaps she was even thought of as a nuisance. In the eyes of the world she was not prosperous at all; for all practical purposes, she was a failure with little money and no husband.

But through the eyes of Christ, a very different situation was noted. He went so far as to tell His disciples that she "put more into the treasury than all the others" (verse 43). How could this be so? Notice the Lord's observation: "They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything- all she had to live on" (verse 44). That which the Lord was pointing attention to reached far beyond monetary matters and pointed to the condition of the heart.

This poor widow found her prosperity in areas that we need to have at work in our lives. She was prosperous because of her willingness to do what she could no matter what others thought; she was prosperous because she was willing to give sacrificially; she was prosperous because she was willing to place all her faith and confidence in God; she was prosperous because God took note of her faithfulness.

As we approach Thanksgiving we should all be taking note of the many things that we have to be thankful for. We must also remember that our primary thanks should be extended to God, for He is our Provider. As James 1:17 reminds us, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, Who does not change like shifting shadows."

In the midst of our thankfulness, we might give in to the temptation to focus on our apparent lack of prosperity if we rely on material measurements to gauge how well we are faring. It is then that we should remember the poor widow's sacrifice in Mark 12. Following her example, regardless of how much or how little we have materially and financially, we will always be prosperous in the ways that really matter if we conduct ourselves in a manner that gets the attention of God. That is real and lasting prosperity that we can be truly thankful for!