Tag: grudgingly

51.e. Wilderness – 15.k. “‘You shall open wide your hand”

 

Deu 15:9-11  Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

 Proverbs 4:23   Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

 Jeremiah 17:10    “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

 Matthew 15:19    For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

 Mark 7:21-22    For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,  coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.

 Proverbs 28:22    A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.

 Proverbs 21:13     Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.

In the heart and mind resides the vilest of thoughts and intents. The output is in the form of action or the lack of action. These souls are bound for doing what is right in their own eyes, what pleases them, what gives them satisfaction or the chase after satisfaction, what gives them purpose, how they treat people, how they speak to people, and there is no thought of honoring or glorifying Jesus Christ. You might look at these people with disdain or disgust or hate or anger, and for some of their actions, we can see it this way. God does. He sees it all. The thoughts. The intents. The actions. 

Scripture tells us that God is angry and wrathful over such people. It also says that He is withholding His wrath and anger so that all might come to the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, repent, believe, trust, obey, follow, and rely upon Him for the salvation of their souls. God’s grace, mercy, and love are showered down because that is His plan to offer redemption and salvation to every person ever born. 

We see people who are worldly and follow the lusts of their hearts. We see boastfulness, anger, hate, arrogance, theft, jealousy, lying, unkindness, greed, immorality, etc…… God sees them much more clearly than we do. He sees their thoughts and intents before any action has been taken. And yet, He offers the gift of eternal life. 

How should we view these people to whom we want to justly hate? With love. Everything we say about an evil and lost person above applies to us but by the grace and mercy of God. We do well to remember that and the needs of others. It can be some need, physical, material, monetary, or spiritual. If our eyes are open and our ears attentive we will hear and be led by the Holy Spirit with the right spirit within us to help this in need. 

Look carefully then how you walk

“Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds,  for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?”

Psalms 112:1   Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments!  His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.  Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.  Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.

Psalms 37:25-26     I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.  He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.

 Deuteronomy 15:7-10     “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother,  but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.  Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin.  You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.

 Job 31:16-20    “If I have withheld anything that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,  or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it  (for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow),  if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or the needy without covering,

 Proverbs 24:30-34     I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,  and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.  Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction.  A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,  and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

 Proverbs 18:9    Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.

 Romans 12:11     Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

 Proverbs 24:27     Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.

 Colossians 4:5     Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

 Ephesians 5:15    Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

There a few of points I take home from today’s verses.   Use time wisely.  Give thought and prepare for the tasks at hand.  Take care of what God has provided.  Look carefully at our walk (application of God’s word in our life).  Give to the needy. Be generous. Serve the Lord.  Help the poor, fatherless, and widow.  We need to be mindful of how we spend our time, resources, and what we spend it on.  If it is only about gaining riches, we fail.  If it is only about what can be gained with the least amount of effort, it’s a waste. If it is not with the intent to humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow and obey God, it is to our destruction.  Listen to what God says to your heart and mind in His word.  Desire and learn to hear His quiet small voice of leading and directing you for His honor.

Who is more Blessed?

“Blessed is the one who considers the poor!”

“It is more blessed to give than to receive”

Psalms 41:1  In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him; the LORD protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.

Deuteronomy 15:10 You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

Isaiah 58:7  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?  Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.  Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,  if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.  And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Proverbs 19:17    Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.

Ecclesiastes 11:1  Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.  Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.

2 Corinthians 9:8  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.  As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”  He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.  You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

Acts 20:35   In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

Luke 14:13  But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Matthew 25:34  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

Learn to Give out of a generous heart.  Learn to Help out of a generous heart.  Giving is an act of obedient responsibility but to many it is missing from their lives.  There is blessing given deep into the heart of a generous giver.  This blessing comes from God and it is knowing He has given to you and allowed you to be used by Him to share.  He honors a generous heart with Joy in giving that can not be easily explained but it is very real in the lives of those who learn to listen to God and give generously and with purpose.

Giving to the Poor

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,”

“give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Psalms 37:26  He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.

Psalms 37:21   The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives;

Psalms 112:5  It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.

Psalms 112:9   He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever;

Deuteronomy 15:8  but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.  Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin.  You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.

Job 31:16  “If I have withheld anything that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,  or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it  (for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow),  if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or the needy without covering,  if his body has not blessed me, and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,.

Matthew 5:7   “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Luke 6:35  But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

Proverbs 20:7   The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!

Proverbs 24:33  A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,  and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

Giving is a heart choice and decision.  Giving has two aspects one is obedience and the other is true generosity.  In obedience to God and for His glory and honor we give to those in need.  God opens our eyes to see those around us and puts us on paths for generosity/compassion/mercy to be lived out.  When God shows you a need are you obedient?  Do you start your day with the choice to hear His voice concerning those in need?  Too many times we  are thinking too much about ours selves.  When we dwell on self our heart and ears are closed to God in this matter.  Everything we have has been given to us by God for His purpose not ours.  It is well for us to examine our heart and intents with all that God has given us.  Teach yourself to give, give freely, and be a vessel that honors and glorifies God through generousity.