GIVING HEARTS ARE BLESSED (4)

“Good will come to him who is GENEROUS and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice…” – Psalm 112:5

GIVING HEARTS are BLESSED because they Trust in God: “Good will come to him who is GENEROUS and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice…his heart is steadfast, TRUSTING in the LORD. His HEART is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor” (Psa.112: 5, 8-9, NIV). Generosity is proof of a heart that totally trusts God. Psalm 112 highlights the heart condition that must be attached to generous giving. God wants us to be generous, and He desires to reward our good deeds. But, He doesn’t bless us just because we do something good or nice. He requires more of us: to do good, with justice, discretion, and compassion, from a secure and trusting heart.

The point of Psalm 112 is to elevate what honouring God looks like: gracious living, heart firm in God, not afraid, conducting affairs with justice, giving freely to those in need. With each promise of blessing from God, He requires us to be rightly motivated; to put off carnal pride and be cloaked with His character. We should give freely because God tells us to, not because we want to feel good about it. We should share with people because we love them the way God does and really want them to experience His love through our actions. That’s the litmus test of righteous generosity versus prideful showmanship: “At the end of the day, have we shown Jesus to anyone?”

Giving is a blessing. In worldly economic terms, giving means we have less than what we started with, but the Bible teaches that when we give to others, we gain. It seems illogical but it’s a blessed truth that we’re encouraged to remember: ““And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he said, “It is more BLESSED to GIVE than to receive” (Acts 20:35b). This verse provides us with a heart-warming reminder that giving to someone in need or supporting a humanitarian cause, can produce a great sense of fulfilment and joy. Giving follows the eternal law of reaping and sowing. No genuine act of giving ever results into permanent loss.

Whether we’re on the receiving end of a generous act or we benefit from the fulfilment and joy of giving to others, generosity is a character trait that we can all appreciate. Generosity teaches us to trust God. Giving generously is an expression of our trust in His provision. Many in the Western world are privileged to enjoy high living standards, accessible health care and sound education but the comfort they have can also breed uncertainty and anxiety. Ironically, the more people have, the more they fear losing their wealth. The Bible reminds us that life on earth is uncertain and nothing is guaranteed, but when we put our hope in God’s provision, we can rest assured that He’ll provide for our needs. Giving to others helps us to tangibly practise trusting in God rather than in our belongings, possessions, or riches.

The Bible strenuously warns against the ungodly attitude of “In Money we trust”! The story of the rich fool in Luke 12 comes in handy. God is not against money. He has it mentioned more than 150 times in the New Testament. Money is a favourite subject of the Master. Jesus never says money is bad. It all, and always, depends on what is done with it, how it is used, and how we think about it. What is the root of all evil is “the love of money” – the greedy grasping of money, the covetous instincts that drive men to worship money and its ends, and not God (1Tim.6:10). The Lord warns: “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Lk.12:15). Proverbs 11:28 says, “He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage.”