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Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. Proverbs 3:27
I have a friend who has been a nurse for over 30 years. It’s always been interesting to sit and talk with him about his work. He’s seen a lot of things few of us would hope to see. He has one of the most compassionate hearts I think I’ve even seen. Soft-spoken, understanding, kind and respectful are all words I would use to describe Ben (not his real name).
Although been would rarely talk about individual patients or their situations, he’d tell about general situations that would tug at his heart. One of these was a life-changer. Ben had always considered himself to be non-judgmental towards other people but one shift taught him a valuable lesson about who he really was.
A patient had been brought up from ER and placed in his ward. Two police officers were stationed outside his room. When he inquired about the situation he found out that the patient assigned to him was the drunk driver in a fatal collision that took the lives of a young mom and two children. It was a sad story indeed, and one that is played out hundreds, if not thousands, of times every day. The drunk driver survived, the innocent did not.
As his shift progressed he knew it was time to go in and check on ‘the patient in #302’ but he kept putting it off. Finally, he could put it off no longer. Begrudgingly, he entered the darkened room to check on his patient. He was surprised to see a small dark form in the recliner beside the bed. As his eyes adjusted to the light he could tell it was a young girl. He asked the officer standing guard about her and found out she was the man’s only daughter. She’d been there since he was admitted and refused to leave for even a minute. Her mother had just died of cancer the week before.
My friend Ben removed himself and found an empty room where he could weep for a few minutes and regain his composure. His ‘hatred’ of the ‘drunk’ changed markedly when he realized the loss this man must have felt and the pain the little girl in the recliner felt. Why had he not checked on him sooner? If he had he could have perhaps offered some comfort to the little girl.
Proverbs 3:27 is one of the hard sayings of the Bible. On the surface it looks easy enough. If you have the means to help, help those who deserve it. Then the question comes. Who deserves it? In our humanness we can answer that question. If we look at others the way God looks at us, none of us deserve any help at all. But when we look at others the way God looks at us through the lens of Jesus’ love, then all of us are on equal footing. The man making a stupid decision to drive drunk is no better or worse than the self-righteous nurse refusing to care for him.
Who do you know that needs your help today? Perhaps just a prayer, a smile or a helping hand is all that is needed to show the love of Jesus. The key to this verse is that ‘when it’s in your power’ to help, help is required not optional.
PRAYER: Father God, every day we are surrounded by people in need of our help in various ways. When we encounter them give us the wisdom and strength to help them to the best of our ability regardless of their circumstance. In Jesus name, Amen.
Nothing is hidden from God! He sees through everything, and we will have to tell him the truth. Hebrews 4:13
A friend of mine is an investigator for a local law enforcement agency. We were talking one day about how dishonest people can be and I asked him how he could tell if a person was telling him the truth or not.
“There’s no way to tell for sure of course, but usually I have a pretty good idea by the third story.” He stated with a slight smirk on his face. “You see,” he continued, “the first time I ask a person of interest anything about a case he generally denies any involvement or even any knowledge of the situations. I’ll generally leave the topic at that point but then I’ll ask him again and he’ll admit to having some information. The third time I ask him questions I’m pretty sure I know if he’s the person I’m looking for or not. Sometimes they make it easy for me by confessing on the third interview!”
All one needs to do is perform an internet search on the topic of lying and you’ll find a wealth of information on how to determine if someone is being truthful or not. Truth can be determined if the story remains consistent, the person can look you in the eyes, behavior doesn’t change when you ask them questions, and a variety of other tips. Sadly, some are very accomplished at what they do and one can never be sure about the truth.
US News published an article in 2012 on how lying affected a person’s health. The article was based on a study done on honesty by Notre Dame University. The study found that people were healthier when they told the truth!
That should really come as no surprise. Adam and Eve had no shame until they tried to hide the truth of their sin. While some people are very good at lying, there will come a time when all your lies are revealed. God has promised that nothing will be hidden forever. That’s the bad news. The good news is that God has also offered a way of escape from the tyranny of guilt associated with lying.
Forgiveness comes through faith in Christ. You may not be able to escape the ‘earthly, temporal consequences of lying’, but you can experience the freedom of knowing that God knows your heart. Only he can clean it for eternity.
Oh, and one more thing. Those lies that are being told about you? He knows about them too. What a refreshing truth that is!
PRAYER: Father God, please help us to realize that the truth about us will be revealed through your grace. Forgive us for those times when we knowingly shroud the truth. Empower us to be honest with others, honest with ourselves, and most importantly, honest with you. Amen.
The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor. Proverbs 22:9
Society tells us that there is blessing in riches. Oh, we don’t say it out loud of course. We say “It’s more blessed to give than receive.” We say “Money can’t buy happiness”. The reality is, businesses spend millions of dollars each year in advertising with glitzy signs, clever slogans and the famous ‘Super Bowl Ads’ all in effort to tempt our insatiable palate which constantly screams for more!
How many times have you said, or at the very least thought, “If I win the lottery I’ll…”
The reality doesn’t match up with the practice all too often. Unfortunately, it seems to be true more in the Christian realm than I’m comfortable with. In our defense, generosity is risky. Part of the problem is defining ‘the poor’. Jesus said we’ll always have the poor with us. He commends those who give even a cup of water to the needy for their thoughtfulness.
In those honest moments we have to admit that there are many people with very little who are actually very rich in character. They are the ones who work hard to try to get ahead but just never seem to make it happen. They are the ones who struggle with a variety of health issues. They are the ones who would give you the shirt off their backs…if they had one.
Then there are those who are, for lack of a better term, are leeches. They have discovered that they can actually make a pretty good living by taking whatever they can get. It is these people who are, in a sense, poor twice. They are the ones who take advantage of our generosity and use us. Within non-profit, and especially ministry circles, they are the ones we look out for because they will use our resources without any conscience.
The struggle of my heart is this. Was Jesus ever concerned about being taken advantage of? Did he ever scrutinize those in need as to their character? The reality is, I think not. He didn’t put any stipulations on who benefitted from his generosity.
When you give, do you give according to your perception of the need or do you give in the name of Jesus. Do you give the cup of water to the thirsty when they are capable of getting it themselves or do you hold back and judge their character.
Often, as I write this blog I try to leave us with answers. But today I must confess I have none. I see the dangers of being taken advantage of, but I see the example of a Savior who was unconcerned about motive. Ten lepers went away healed. Only one had the character to return and say thank you.
PRAYER: Father, we confess to you today that we often hold too tightly to what you’ve given us because of our penchant for determining need from a human perspective. Help us have open minds and open hearts to give to those with open hands as you would have us give. Amen.
The Lord is your God, so you must always love him and obey his laws and teachings. Deuteronomy 11:1
We were on our way home from our oldest daughter’s music concert. My wife and I always make sure we sit in the same general area so that she can look into the audience and see us. On this night however, we’d been detained and arrived later than usual for the concert. As a result our ‘normal place’ were taken and we were forced to sit near the back.
As we made the trip home my daughter remarked, “I didn’t see you guys in your normal place tonight.”
My wife responded, “I know honey, someone was sitting there. We had to sit on the other side and near the back, but we were there.”
“Oh, I know mom.” I heard you laughing in the back.”
I
t was a humorous interchange but I thought of that story as I read today’s verse. There are so many different voices calling for our allegiance today. It’s easy to get sucked into the demands of family, career, church, and community. If we aren’t careful, those other voices can distract us from hearing the voice of God and being aware of his presence in our lives. When we lose sight of God, our lives can become like a ship tossed at the mercy of angry, relentless waves.
When our ears are tuned to God’s voice we can hear him in the darkness and chaos of life. His voice, His desires rise above all the other voices that seek to keep us from hearing the most important voice. When we listen to those voices they become our gods.
As you make your way through the dark wilderness of life; as the chaotic schedules of life pull you in a variety of directions. Whose voice do you hear? The voice you listen to will determine your destiny. Take heed of the voice of God through his word and those who speak his wisdom. All the other voices will only lead you astray.
PRAYER: Father, I confess to you that too often I get distracted by the cares of life and voices that draw me away from you. Empower me by your Spirit to hear you clearly through the darkness. Amen.
Cry aloud before the Lord, O walls of beautiful Jerusalem! Let your tears flow like a river day and night. Give yourselves no rest; give your eyes no relief. Lamentations 2:18
A couple years ago, a little five-year-old boy mysteriously disappeared from his parent’s yard. News of this little guy’s disappearance spread like wild fire throughout the area. Thousands of people overwhelmed the community in search for this young life. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that temperatures were near 100 degrees and humidity was high.
The family farm was surrounded by cornfields and swamps, a nearly impossible place to find such a little body. Prayers were offered. Tears were shed. Tempers rose higher than the temperatures. Three days later his lifeless body was found in the trunk of a car on the family property. The car trunk had been overlooked because no one expected the little guy to be able to climb in the trunk and close the lid (when he was found he had the car keys with him).
It was a horrible situation to be sure and not to lessen the severity of that, but one of the things that stands out to me about the story is how earnestly people sought for this precious jewel. Some were overcome by heat and ‘ordered’ of the search for their own safety!
Lamentations is a book written by Jeremiah. Its theme is exactly what the title would imply – tears, weeping and anguish. The prophet Jeremiah is mourning the judgment of God against his people. He sees the pain and agony. He senses the seeming silence of God.
Were I to paraphrase Lamentations 2:18 to those who are struggling with life, it would go something like this. “I know you are in pain! I know what it’s like to feel like God has abandoned you. I see the turmoil and yes, I too question why! But never stop looking for God in all this. Never lose sight of his promises over and over again that he walks with you through the pain. Like a river in the wilderness, keep flowing. Don’t stop.”
Sometimes there seems to be no answer to the struggles in our lives, but we should never stop seeking God’s face.
PRAYER: Father God. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t understand why you allow such pain among your people. Yet, I acknowledge that you, and you alone are far too valuable to walk away from. So I will continue to pray for those in agony. I will continue to seek your face because you are worth it! Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 