Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Deuteronomy 15-16

“Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭15‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

You would think that this would be obvious.

But, as someone who walks by many homeless people in the course of my workday, I can tell you it is far from simple.

First there’s the simple fact that I could not possibly help each person who begs for money from me on our limited budget.

Second, homeless experts I’ve heard from say that giving cash just feeds into their problems.

I know that each person is different and there have been times when I have heeded a nudge that I hope was from the Holy Spirit and helped out homeless individuals.

I believe the better way is to support organizations like the Denver (or your city) Rescue Mission, the Salvation Army and others locally.

Compassion International, CURE International, and Via Love International are just a few of the organizations making a difference in lives globally.

There are also times when friends or family are in need of assistance.

One piece of advice that was given to me a long time ago (by someone who helped me financially back then) was, if you loan to a friend, do so without expecting to get it back. In fact, it is better to encourage them to pay it forward.

Regardless of the way you choose to give, you cannot out give God.

Statistically, businesspeople who give generously are more successful than those who give little or nothing.

But even if you have no financial success here on Earth, you will be storing up treasures in heaven when you give up treasures down here.

In what ways have you been able to help individuals in need?
What charitable organizations do you support or would like to support?