S)"10 You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings."
Deuteronomy 15:10 (NASB)
O) In the beginning of our walk with God (which this was to this generation of Israelites), getting us to do good almost requires that God will bless us for it. How absurd is it to think that we simply won't do it unless He's going to bless us for it? Nevertheless, I am thankful that our God is compassionate to our weakness and also gracious in His blessings that He wants to reward us for good work. This verse is another example that people don't realize the heart of the Father is kind and compassionate (as opposed to seeing those characteristics in Jesus alone, in the Trinity), but it's not just the New Testament that teaches us to care for the poor. In fact, this has always been a key to receiving blessings from the LORD without hinderance.
A) With much chagrin, I admit that there have been times when it was difficult to give to the poor. There have been times when our support of missionary work has felt like a burden I wished I could skip in one month or another. Or other times when I've felt God to lead me toward giving money to a person with a sign on the street and I felt inconvenienced or pressed for time, or whatever selfish excuse popped up. But, I thank God that in those moments He reminds me of two things.
1) A sacrifice that costs nothing is worth nothing.
2) They still have it worse off than I do.
And so, this verse is another reminder, a third thing to add to the list, that being generous is a command from the LORD. I am to be compassionate because my Father is compassionate. And, in moments of weak selfishness, He reminds me that He'll still reward me.
P) Father, forgive me for being selfish, and even for being busy. You are a tremendously good, and powerfully great Father. You wish to bless everyone around You and I truly want to reflect that for others, God. Holy Spirit, continue to direct me toward those who need the blessings of the Father. Let me share the gospel with them in the most real terms, meeting them where they are, for their sake and not for my own. Remind me that being selfish is one of the quickest ways to lose blessings the Father intended for me, but let that be my last motivator for doing good. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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