February 22

Feb 22 - Today from Proverbs 22 we look at verse 9
"A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor."

This truth involves natural law, but also goes beyond and incorporates spiritual law. I have seen the evidence displayed time and again, both in my own life, and in the lives of others. Jesus teaches in Luke 6:38, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
We must inject a word of caution here, because the ‘prosperity gospel’ teachers have overused this verse (and principal). Today's proverb complements Jesus' teaching and gives an important insight. Generosity is an attitude.
Prosperity gospel teaching says something like this; "If you want to get more, you must give more." (Of course the teachers inevitably have a noble cause for which the 'student' can use as practice in giving generously.) Now we are back to the old axiom of motivation. Is one giving out of an attitude of genuine compassion for the purpose of increasing the quality of life for the intended recipient? Or, is one giving in order to increase one's own financial and material status? Again we see the reality of a generous and compassionate attitude displayed in the parable Jesus taught in Matthew 25:31-46 regarding the sheep and the goats. Here the sheep are the true followers of Christ. They have displayed His character motivated by His compassion. They had no ulterior motives. When Jesus commends them for their deeds of compassion He revealed that they saw Him hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless and in prison. Their reply; "When did we ever see you in such a state?" It is that question that tips us off as to their motives in helping the poor. It wasn't to manipulate Christ. It was to help the poor. Their motive was pure, and in that motive lie their reward. Generous people are blessed of the Lord.
I can share hundreds of stories, but I would like to choose a recent one. One of the most generous people I know is my friend and former associate, Dirk Jan Groot. He is the international director of Dorcas Aid International. Dorcas Aid is a multi-million dollar international Christian relief and development organization headquartered in the Netherlands. When I first met Dirk Jan in 1986, he operated the organization out of a small garage-like facility, which they rented. He had very little material goods of his own, yet he had already assembled a substantial army of volunteers who moved tons of relief goods each month behind the 'Iron Curtain' to care for the needs of the persecuted church. Never have I met a man with such a gift of faith. He still operates in that gift today. It is a marvel to travel with him and observe how he and the Lord work through situations. Since that humble beginning Dorcas has grown and gained tremendous respect in every area where she serves. Awhile back Dirk Jan visited Grand Rapids and I was privileged to share a few hours out of his busy schedule. He brought me up to date on what God is doing through Dorcas, and then we talked about our families and more personal things. "How's that old Opel doing," I asked. I can hardly imagine how many miles a year this guy puts on a car. He looked at me rather quizzically and said, "Did my people speak with you?"
"No, except for your secretary confirming your trip, I haven't spoken to any of your staff," I said.
"Oh, then I have a good story for you. Not so good at first, but the Lord always makes them good," he responded. He proceeded to share that the car had given him fits last fall. After spending hundreds of dollars in repairs, he finally got it back from the shop. A few days later it conked out again. Frustrated, he rode his bike to the office. That day one of the businessmen who was looking to support a rather large project in Africa called Dirk Jan and asked if they could do lunch. "Of course," Dirk Jan replied. "But you will have to pick me up. My Opel is dead again."
The businessman picked him up, they had lunch, and Dirk came out with a very nice gift to support the work in Africa. On the way back to the office the businessman stopped at the local VW dealer and invited Dirk Jan to come into the showroom. "Pick out any car you like," said the man. "I will pay for it."
Dirk Jan drove away in a brand new VW Passat.
He never asked for it, he never prayed for it. The Father knew he had need of a good reliable car to carry on the work of His kingdom, and He supplied it. Dirk Jan lives that way.
I have hundreds of stories about dozens of generous people I know. God is faithful, and He rewards compassion and obedience. We must be careful to watch our hearts and keep our motives pure. We must learn and maintain a generous attitude. When we do that, we actually behave like the children of the living God!