Daily Devotional
               Betty Miller shares her daily devotionals which are based on the book of Proverbs in the Bible.   

  The Wisdom of God

Verses for the Day:

Proverbs 19:17(KJV):
17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

Proverbs 19:17(NIV):
17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.

Thoughts for the Day:

Proverbs makes a profound statement here, as it mentions that when we give to the poor, we are actually lending to God, and God-Himself will reward us.  This is a wonderful principle in the Word of God in regard to giving.  As God's children, we are to be like our Father and cultivate a giving nature that reaches out to others.  Our giving should be done in many ways such as giving to our church, teaching ministries and evangelistic ministries. However, this particular ministry of giving to the poor, is so near to God's heart that when we do it, it is as if we actually lend to God. 

Knowing God, if we lend to Him, we will never have to worry about Him paying us back.  God is never indebted to anyone so we can be assured that if we give to the poor, our Lord will reward us.  His rewards come back in many ways. Sometimes it is in the form of money, if that is what we need.   However, when we need healing, strength, protection, faith, peace, love, etc., these rewards are greater than simply a monetary recompense.

There is another portion of scripture that also promises us a reward when we give to the poor.  It is found in the following verses:

Psalm 41:1-3:
1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
2 The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
3 The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

We are told in these verses that when we are considerate of the poor and help them, that the Lord will deliver us in our time of trouble.  He says He will preserve us and keep us alive and that he will bless us.  He also promises us that we will not be delivered over to the will of our enemies and those who hate us. We are also promised that when we fall sick and are languishing with any kind of disease, He will heal us so we can get up and make our bed.  What wonderful promises for just giving to the poor.  As we reach out to the poor, the Lord reaches out to us.   

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to give to the poor. Give us Your heart for those that are less fortunate than we are.  We want to keep a compassionate attitude for those who are suffering in poverty.  Lord, use us to share the gospel with the poor, as when they find You, they are then able to rise above their circumstances.  Thank you for blessing me financially so that I am able to give generously to the poor and Your works that are spreading the gospel.  I ask this in the name of Jesus.  Amen.