Tiny Devotional for RED Friday, 07-28-2023

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, the dogs unplugged my fan.



He who increases his wealth by interest* and usury**
Gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor.
Proverbs 28:8, NASB

*If I loan you $10, and demand $15 in return, it’s בְּנֶשֶׁךְ  (nesik), and that’s forbidden. 

**If I demand Boardwalk ($400) in exchange for Mediterranean ($60), that’s ובתרבית  (tarsik), also forbidden. Tarsik is translated here as ‘usury’, but it really means ‘sharp trading.’

Being gracious toward the poor: everyone can do it; we are COMMANDED to do it. Are you in despair, thinking “I’m living paycheck to paycheck already!  How am I going to do anything for the poor?”

O, my brothers and sisters, let me try to lighten this burden for you:

There is NOTHING in this verse about giving money to the poor. Zip. Zero. Nada. Gar Nichts.

The command to be gracious to the poor is 100% heart, and 0% wallet. In fact, opening the wallet without opening the heart is USELESS to the wallet owner. Check this out:

And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
I Corinthians 13:3, NASB

And therefore, we:

  • Stop; 
  • Pray; 
  • Look.

STOP believing the lies about the poor! There ARE no ‘welfare queens,’ as one politician described them.

PRAY for them! This opens your heart up to God, so He can direct you further; He will surely do so.

LOOK for ways to bless! You’ve been blessed with a timely good word before, right? Start there; do more as you are able. 

(I’m out of words.)

Peace be on your household.

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