My Daily Pause

¹⁷ Being kind to the poor is like lending to the Lord;
He will reward you for what you have done. – Proverbs 19:17 NCV

If you haven’t spent much time as a tourist in Washington D.C. you can’t know just how prolific the homelessness problem is there. Worse, it has become a career for many. As soon as you pop up out of the Metro station on the National Mall, you will be handed “helpful” leaflets and maps in exchange for “donations” to the homeless.

My son was allowed to invite his young girlfriend with us on one of our frequent visits to D.C. She obviously had no experience with dealing with the homeless people and they knew it. I warned her about the games they play, but she didn’t care. Her pure heart spoke louder than my “experienced” heart.

We eventually happened across a person that I am sure really needed help. She helped him just like all the others, and generously I might add. This time my whole perspective began to change – I realized I’ve passed on helping some truly hungry people. I can see some of their faces still.

Throughout the Proverbs and the rest of the Bible, we see the importance of helping the poor and God’s love for them. In this one verse, we can understand that it is not for us to try and manage what will happen to our “gift”. If our kindness is like lending to the Lord, then He will take care of that part at the appropriate time. Our reward comes from being there for Him.