Lending to the Lord
"Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done." – Proverbs 19:17
When I was 17, my brother Chip and I attended a concert in Detroit on a freezing winter night. As we were leaving the venue, we encountered a homeless man asking for spare change. Chip and I didn’t have any money, and I was ready to walk away until Chip struck up a conversation with the man. He asked the man his name and noticed that his coat was old and tattered, totally inadequate for the weather. Without a second thought, Chip removed his own winter jacket and handed it to the man. That was 19 years ago, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
In our world, there's often a tendency to view the less fortunate and homeless as inconveniences, almost to the point of avoiding eye contact and pretending they don’t exist. But Chip's actions remind me of something profound, even if it sounds so obvious: homeless individuals are real people with stories, lives, and experiences. They're not just faceless statistics, but often individuals who have faced difficult circumstances or fallen on hard times.
There's a prevailing notion that homeless people will squander any money they receive on liquor or drugs, but my personal experiences and many research studies have shown otherwise. More often than not, people just need a little help and a touch of compassion.
Proverbs 19:17 captures this sentiment perfectly: "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done." It's a reminder that acts of kindness and generosity towards the less fortunate are the same as lending to the Lord Himself. This verse encourages us to extend help and support to those in need, not just as an obligation, but as an expression of our faith and obedience to God.
This Lenten season, let's carry this message with us. Let's open our hearts to the needs of those around us and seek opportunities to show kindness and compassion, knowing that in doing so, we honor God and fulfill His purpose for us.
David Switzer
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