March 22, 2008

Today's Reading - Proverbs 22
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Following Scripture Verses

1. A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
2. The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.
3. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
4. By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.
5. Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.
6. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
7. The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
8. He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.
9. He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
10. Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.
11. He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.
12. The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.
13. The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.
14. The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.
15. Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
16. He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.
17. Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
18. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
19. That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.
20. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,
21. That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?
22. Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
23. For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.
24. Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:
25. Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.
26. Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.
27. If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
28. Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
29. Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

Today's Pathway:
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"He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor." - Proverbs 22:9

Mankind has a strong tendency towards selfishness. We may feel sorry for the person who is in need, but many times we fail to supply him with anything that will help his condition. Sometimes even when we do help out we give only a token amount of money or materials. Often we react this way because we are afraid to give something away that we might ultimately need for ourselves. While this may be the natural way to think, it is certainly not the Biblical way to think.

Solomon writes that the blessings of God fall upon the man with a bountiful eye. This expression means that this man sees needs and quickly determines that he wants to do as much as possible to help. It is important to note that he does not simply see the need, for the end of the verse teaches that he gives to the poor. Thus, the man who wants God to bless him needs to do more than observe those who are impoverished, or simply feel bad for them; he needs to do something about it.

It is also noteworthy that the blessed man gives away "his bread". He is giving away that which both he and the poor person need. Also, it is his; it does not belong to someone else. In our society we regularly see programs designed to give someone else's money away to buy unnecessary goods for the poor. This has never been God's plan. Sacrificial, voluntary giving of appropriate goods and funds to meet genuine needs is the Lord's way of doing things.

Do you see someone in need today? God will bless you if you respond to it.

Pastor Mark J Montgomery