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by Bob and Debby Gass
The Blessings of the Compassionate Heart (2)
February 12, 2012
‘He who gives to the poor will lack nothing...’ Proverbs 28:27 NIV
When it comes to charitable giving some people say, ‘That’s Old Testament doctrine. What’s the New Testament teaching?’ Glad you asked! Jesus launched His ministry saying: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach Good News to the poor…’ (Luke 4:18 NIV) And it didn’t stop with Jesus. The New Testament church carried out Christ’s mission of mercy on a daily basis. ‘All the believers…shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.’ As a result, they experienced ‘great joy.’ (Acts 2:44–46 NLT) You say, ‘Won’t that leave me financially strapped?’ No. Because of their compassion and generosity: ‘There was not a needy person among them…’ (Acts 4:34 NAS) The giver and receiver were both blessed. The rules of God’s Kingdom are: ‘Give freely and become more blessed; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.’ (Proverbs 11:24–25 NLT) It seems counter–intuitive, especially when you are struggling financially, but God promises that the generous will prosper. This isn’t about buying God’s favour. We don’t give in the selfish motive of expecting a reward (that’s not generosity, it’s greed!) instead we give out of faith. The Bible says, ‘The Lord blesses everyone who freely gives food to the poor.’ (Proverbs 22:9 CEV) ‘He who gives to the poor will lack nothing.’ Next time God nudges you to show compassion and give, do it. Then when you have a need, pray, ‘Lord, I have honoured You, now I believe You will honour me.’
SoulFood: Joshua 1, Acts 3:1–21
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright © 2012
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