How do we know what’s in a person’s heart? We know what’s in a person’s heart by what they do with that which is in their hand. David was not able to build a house of God, but he went as far as he could in building the house of God. He raised the money. He collected the material. He had the plans drawn. He went as far as he could possibly go to build the house of God and because he did what he could do with that which he had in his hand, God gave him credit for what was in his heart.
How do we know that the widow had a heart and a desire to give more to God? Because of what she did with that which was in her hands. She had two pennies and she dropped those in the collection plate and because of what she did with that in her hand, we know that in her heart there was a desire to do her very best, the most she could for God. God always measures the desire of our heart by what we do with our hands.