A Loan To The Lord

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back
what he has given (Proverbs 19:17).

A father gave his little boy 50 cents and told him he could use it any
way he wanted. Later when Dad asked about it, the boy told him
that he had lent it to someone.

"Who did you lend it to?" he asked. The boy answered, "I gave it to
a poor man on the street because he looked hungry."

"Oh, that was foolish. You’ll never get it back," replied the father.
"But Daddy, the Bible says that people who give to the poor lend to
the Lord."

The father was so pleased with the son’s reply that he gave the boy
another 50 cents. "See," said the son. "I told you I would get it
back—only I didn’t think it would be so soon!"

Has the Lord ever asked you for a loan? Have you ever recognized in
the needs of others a direct request from heaven for some of what
you have? The Bible warns against the sin of passing by the needy
with pious words while keeping a tight grip on our wallets (James
2:14-17). And Galatians 6:10 says that we are to "do good to all."
We aren’t promised that we’ll get rewarded immediately. But in
Jesus’ teaching to His followers about His return, He says we will be
rewarded for giving of ourselves to others in His name (Matthew
25:34-46).

Give as you would to the Master
If you met His searching look;
Give as you would of your substance
If His hand your offering took! —Anon.

You may give without loving but you can’t love without giving. God prospers us not to raise the standard of our living, but to raise the standard of our giving.