God’s LAW of ‘RICHES’ and ‘POVERTY’!
July 2
Bible Reading: Proverbs Chapters 10-12
God’s LAW of ‘RICHES’ and ‘POVERTY’!
"There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and
there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The
generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered
himself." (Proverbs
11:24-25)
These above verses
make the general point that the generous person is blessed, while miserliness
leads to ruin (v. 17). Generosity prospers a person; stinginess
impoverishes!
Here is a
glorious paradox: we enrich ourselves by being generous. We impoverish
ourselves by laying up treasures on earth. What we save, we lose. What we give,
we have. Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to
gain what he cannot lose.” Dr. Barnhouse observed that everybody tithes,
either to the Lord or to the doctor, the dentist, and the garage mechanic.
The generous person reaps dividends that the miser can never know. Whatever
we do for others returns to us in blessing!
The man who
scatters his substance with benevolence will increase the more in wealth and
blessing. There is an old epitaph which says: What we spent, we had;
what we saved, we lost; what we gave, we have. Many withhold from others
only to discover all too suddenly that they are in great want. Liberality
fattens the soul.
This proverb
should shape our attitude toward wealth: it should be shared.
Stinginess may lead to poverty. Generosity has the opposite effect. Selfishness
is foolish because it only creates enemies and dishonors God. The more we
give of ourselves to others, the more we receive. In contrast, one who does
not share with others finds that others will not share with him!
God loves
people who have big hearts and who will give to others. God will bless those
people with riches, while the stingy people will end up in poverty. This is
God’s law of riches and poverty!
"But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." (2 Cor 9:6-8)
