Lending To the Lord

By Jim Durkin

There is an expectation and necessity of receiving in every giving because of God’s nature and promises. Each giving requires a measure of trust as we cannot see the sources of receiving. In Business, Service or Social giving, there is an expectation of receiving. There is also giving that is commanded to honour God, and it is God’s prerogative to give as He sees fit. It goes to people, but we do not receive anything from whom it is given but from God. The third type is ‘giving away’, e.g., when we give to the poor, we don’t expect anything in return, God says, when you give to the poor, you lend to Me.

God asks us to give to the poor; however, we often do not recognize how important it is to God for us to give to the poor. 1 John 3:17, “whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in a tongue, but in deed and in truth”. When we practice God’s principles, we prosper and increase our living, and we should also increase our giving, it is better for us to give than to receive, Acts, 20:35. The poor will never be gone from the land, Deuteronomy 15:7, God has given us these commandments for our good, the end result being that we will be conformed to the image of God, and ‘love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith’, 1 Timothy 1:5”.

God asks us throughout the Bible to consider the poor, Nehemiah 8:10, ‘send portions for whom nothing is prepared’. Psalm 37:25-27; Proverbs 28:27,’he who gives to the poor will not lack’; Proverbs 31:8-9, ‘defend the rights of the afflicted and needy’; Isaiah 1:17, ‘learn to do good’. Isaiah 58:10-12, ‘Extend your soul to the hungry’. Daniel 4:27, asks Nebuchadnezzar to break away from his sins by doing righteousness and showing ‘mercy to the poor’; Zachariah 7:9-10, do not oppress the widow and orphan; Luke 14:12, invite to dinner, the poor, crippled, blind, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous; Luke 19:8, Zacchaeus gave half of his riches to the poor; 1 Timothy 5:10, James 1:27, James 2:2-9, 1 Timothy 6:17-19, all reiterate the importance of remembering the poor because this will store up a good foundation for the future.

Hebrews 6:10, “For God is not so unjust to forget your work and labour of love…” God desires that our hearts will become so much like His heart that the nature of our being will be to give, intelligently and wisely. There will always be opportunities to give to the poor. It is our work to help them meet their needs. He that gives to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay. God promises the blessings of Deuteronomy 28 if we obey His commandments, and the blessings of the Lord will overtake us in every area of our lives!