Poor

“One who is gracious to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed.” Proverbs 19:17

Poor –  Poor me.  The poor in Haiti.  That poor person.  Poor circumstances.  All of these thoughts use the word “poor” but they all have slightly different meanings.  And that is exactly the situation in this verse.  Hebrew has four different words translated “poor”.  They are anaw, dal, rash and ebyon.  They all mean “poor” but they are not all the same.

This verse in Proverbs uses the word dal.  Dal is an adjective that means poor or weak.    This word emphasizes the lack of material worth.  It is used to describe those who are socially weak and materially deprived.  God protects these people and promises them justice.  Dal is rarely used to describe spiritual poverty.  Dal does not emphasize pain or oppression.   It does not primarily emphasize need.  It is about those who lack rather than those who are destitute.  Hebrew has others words for spiritually poor, oppressed or destitute.  Dal is the word for those who lack something essential and can’t provide it for themselves.  Dal is usually about money.

When we realize that God includes everyone who lacks some essential material provision in the group labeled “poor” in this verse, our opportunity to complete God’s loan agreement is significantly enlarged.  This verse is not just about giving money to missions in Nepal or providing funds for the starving masses in Mozambique.  It includes doing a favor to anyone who is in need of what I can give.  It is caring for those who are right next door as well as those who are half way around the world.  It’s about redistributing the assets God has given me to those God presents to me.

If you exhibit God’s graciousness, you will be known as someone who grants favors.  You will be the one people come to when they need help.  That might make you feel used and abused.  You might start thinking, “Why am I the one everybody come to when they need something?”  Solomon wrote this verse for you.  He wants you to see that every time you provide a favor to someone in need, you make God a loan.  Your motivation is based on the graciousness of God toward you.  God has put you in the banker’s seat.  He has empowered you to help others.  And every time you do that, He keeps an account.  Life provides countless opportunities to collect divine I O U’s.  Are you and God making loan agreements today?

Once today:  One time today I will deliberately make a loan to God by fulfilling someone’s need.

(once more tomorrow)