The proverbs in today’s passage all deal
with different aspects of money. Much of our lives center around getting and
spending money. Money is a neutral commodity. It can be either good or evil,
depending on our motives and what we do with it. It can do tremendous good, and
it can bring about tremendous evil.
The changing component in the money equation
is us. Are we wicked or righteous? The first example of this difference is
illustrated in how we give (v24). How can the person who gives generously end
up with more? How can the stingy giver end up poor? From a worldly perspective
this makes no sense. Simple math goes against repeated minuses ending up with
more than the beginning sum.
But when the giving is given in obedience to
the LORD, then the LORD in involved in the giving. And when He gets involved in
something, all His power and authority is there as well.
Now some of the benefits are not necessarily
financial. Verse 25 speaks of refreshing as a benefit of generosity. A life
with less stress and supportive people is a blessing. When we reach out and
help other people there is a benefit that can’t be measured by a checkbook
balance. We can feel good about our generosity, and the beneficiaries of our
generosity feel good about us.
Verse 26 speaks of blessings rather than
curses spoken over the person willing to sell their grain. Notice that the man
is willing to sell his grain, not simply give it away. When people are hungry,
we don’t have to give what we have away. The contrast is with a man who hoards,
unwilling to even consider alleviating the hunger of another. We can still get
value for what we have even in the process of being generous. We are not
talking about a free handout, but a willingness to make our abundance available
to meet the need of another.
The object of our search will come to us
(v27). If we focus on the character of the LORD, always giving, and we allow
that character to become our character, our lives will be a blessing to others,
and we will be blessed in the process.
We must be careful to trust the LORD and not
our paychecks. This world’s economy is not stacked in our favor. If we try to
play by the world’s rules we will end up poor in more than financial ways. God’s
ways are about trusting Him, not our money. A hurricane can wipe out what we
have been building in a few seconds. Political turmoil can change the rules
about wealth and the bank’s agreement with you can get nullified. Retirement
accounts can get seized and given to others. Wealth can get shifted from one
group to another, a group that does nothing to deserve the income.
Trust the LORD, not your wealth.