LENDING TO THE LORD - When you help the poor you are lending to the Lord—and he pays wonderful interest on your loan!

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Lending To The 
Lord

By Mike Riley 

^“17 When you help the poor you are lending to the Lord—and he pays wonderful interest on your loan!” Proverbs 19:17 Living Bible (TLB)

The story is told of a father who gave his little boy 50 cents, and told him he could use it any way he wanted.

Later, when his dad asked him about it, the boy told him that he had lent it to someone.

“Who did you lend it to?” the father 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 his 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 did not think it would be so soon!”

As we look at the needs of others, are we willing to “lend” them some of the material blessings our Father has so richly blessed us with?

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).

Remember that Galatians 6:10 says that we are to “do good to everyone . . .”

We are not promised that we will 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).

We may give without loving, but we cannot truly love without giving (1 John 3:16-18).

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