Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 19:17

by David Chadwick

“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.”

Proverbs 19:17

God loves the poor and needy. In fact, the majority of Jesus’s life and ministry was spent with the least and the lost. He ran toward the sick, the hurting, the poor, and those in need. Those with no future nor hope. And encountered them with his love.

There are many verses throughout Scripture that reflect God’s heart to defend, deliver, protect, and provide for the poor and disenfranchised. 1 Samuel 2:8 says that “he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor.”

Psalm 12:5 says, “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs,” and Psalm 69:33 says, “For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.”

Even the apostle Paul said that his passion was to preach the gospel but made sure to remind all believers that they should never forget the poor (Galatians 2:10). I believe those who love God will serve him by serving others, especially those in poverty.

This proverb reminds us again of God’s heart for the poor. In fact, it says that giving to the poor is like lending to God. Today’s proverb even says that God repays those who are generous to the poor! And I’m sure God’s rate of return on our investment is greater than any bank’s.

Do you remember how Mary and Joseph had to purchase two turtle doves to pay for their purification after Jesus's birth? This verse is an indicator that they were not very wealthy. Yet God sent wise men from far away who gave them expensive gifts they could use during their years in Egypt! He is the provider of all our needs.

And once you are saved by Jesus and have the gift of eternal life, may we all continue to have a heart for the poor, remembering that when we give to them, it's like loaning to God, and he will repay us with interest on our generosity to the poor.

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 9:10

by David Chadwick

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”

Proverbs 9:10

As we have previously discussed during this devotional series, knowledge and wisdom are both very important themes in the book of Proverbs.

Knowledge searches out the depth of information found through experiences, and wisdom is knowing how to, with sound judgment, apply what has been learned. Knowledge comes as you quest after truth and righteousness, and wisdom lives out what you know through good choices.

Do you know the meaning of the word "sophomore"? It’s used to describe a person in their second year of high school or university, this word means “wise fool.” Often sophomores are just comfortable enough that they think they know the ropes but are still making unwise, even stupid, choices. They have a lot of knowledge but lack wisdom.

Often it takes making unwise choices to learn how to make wise ones. That's why we should always have older mentors in our lives. They often provide wisdom to help us learn things without having to make big mistakes. My oldest granddaughter once asked me how I got so wise. I’m not sure I am, but I chuckled when she asked and said to her, “By living a long time!”

So what sets apart carnal knowledge and wisdom from biblical knowledge and wisdom? Fear of the Lord and a connection to the Holy One!

Proverbs 9:10 says that wisdom begins with fear of the Lord. And knowledge, which leads to insight, must be directly connected to the Holy One, Yahweh, the one true God.

Both wisdom and knowledge, functioning together, derived from a profound love and adoration for the Lord, will allow a person to seek him fervently and to live life as God intended.

Fear the Lord. Find wisdom. Seek knowledge. Gain insight from the Holy One.

And your life should go a whole lot better!

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 3:9-10

by David Chadwick

“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”

Proverbs 3:9-10

Marilynn and I are continuing to go through some of our favorite biblical proverbs. The book of Proverbs is full of wisdom and insight for how to live a godly life. In a world where there are so many opinions and so little wisdom, we think it is more important than ever to return to God’s Word to see what he says.

Today we are looking at Proverbs 3:9-10. Did you know that wealth and money are very frequently discussed throughout the Old and New Testaments? God cares so much about seeing his people develop hearts of generosity. The message in today’s verse is to always give God our first fruits. He should get our best gifts, not the leftovers. If we do, our “barns” will be overflowing! In other words, we will have more than we need.

Have you ever heard the old illustration of eating a banana when it comes to biblical financial stewardship? So many followers of Jesus treat generosity like eating a banana. The first bite is our mortgage, the next bite is our car payment, then our clothes, then our enjoyment and entertainment. After filling all of our fleshly desires, we give God the banana peel!

But in the kingdom of heaven, God gets the first bite. He gets the first of everything we own. He gets the best! Malachi 3:8-15 gives a profound description of the beautiful reality of living a life surrendered to generosity. God says to test him with our tithe, our first fruit of giving, 10%, and that if we trust him with it, he will “pour down blessing until there is no more need.”

The tithe, the first 10%, represents our first and best gift to God. Biblically, this is the gift that will open the windows of heaven for us. The tithe is the only place in the Bible where God says to test him! He’s saying, “Just try it and see if my promises are true!”

Marilynn and I have so many miraculous stories of practicing the tithe over the years. I would encourage you to practice this biblical command. Just try it for one year. See if God doesn't meet your every need as he promised! And as you practice, remember his promise is to meet your needs. Not your greed!

Over time, I believe you, too, will have so many stories you can share with your kids and grandkids in the years to come to create generational generosity for your future legacy.