Lending To The Lord

“He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.” (Prov. 19:17)

In a house of 8 people, we borrow things from one another all the time. If my son can’t find his jacket, his brother lends him his. If my girls can’t find their hairdryer, my wife lends them hers. Like all parents, we teach our children to share. When we think about the Lord, we “borrow” things from Him all the time, except they’re really gifts because we have no way of returning them. I’m talking about things like the air we breathe, the blood that runs through out veins, etc. God is generous to us!

You might be surprised to know that there’s actually a way you can lend something to God. Solomon said, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord.” That’s an amazing statement. Of course, we know that God doesn’t need anything we have. Here, Solomon is using a human concept to help us understand the way God repays generosity to those who are in need. When we give to the poor, we not just doing it for their sake. Ultimately, we’re doing it for the glory of God.

Solomon said, “He (the Lord) will pay back what he has given.” The old saying is that “you can’t out-give God.” In my own experience, I’ve found that to be very true. There have been times when God has prompted me to give away resources that I needed for myself. In those times that I was willing to give toward others in faith, I can say that God repaid me many times over. Getting should never be our motivation for giving, but when we lend to the Lord we should always expect a return.