Proverbs : 13 Maintaining Generous Ears
Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poorwill himself call out and not be answered.
Itâs interesting that God attaches intention to not responding to the needs of the poor. No matter what justification we might fabricate to excuse ourselves, the Lord calls it a willful âclosing of our ears.â
In the same way that we lend to the Lord by giving to the poor, we withhold from the Lord when we respond selfishly to needâthat gets repaid as well.
How God Wants Us To Give
In giving, motivation is crucial. God wants us to be cheerful, generous givers with humble hearts. He asks us to give as a response to His grace in our lives even if what we have to offer is all that we have.
Deuteronomy 15:7-87 If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.
Deuteronomy 15:10 10 You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.
Leviticus 25:36-37 36 Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. 37 You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit.
Luke 6:30 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.
Luke 21:1-4The Widow’s Offering21 Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 And he said, Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.
Bible Verses About Thanksgiving
In 1926, Concordia University Texas was established as a Christ-centered Lutheran university. The Word of God has an incredible impact on the human heart. As Hebrews 4:12 explains, the word of God is alive and active.
This year, as we gather to celebrate Thanksgiving, let’s remember to celebrate the greatest gift of all salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here are 17 Bible verses to help you reflect on the abundant blessings of God.
Please note that all Bible verses are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.
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Explanation And Commentary Of Matthew : 12
After explaining that our Father in heaven loves to give good gifts to those who ask, Jesus says this verse. While it is true that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves , and we are even to consider others more important than ourselves , it is a given that to be a being with a self, we naturally major on loving ourselves, and caring for ourselves. This can be done sinfully, and selfishly, or logically from the standpoint of stewardship. In a certain sense, if we do not take care of ourselves, someone else will be forced to, or we will die. Stewardship dictates that we take responsibility for whatever God gives us, and this starts with our very own bodies. Paul said to the Ephesian husbands, After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church .
Leviticus 2: 3537 Giving To Those In Need
If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.
God commanded the Israelites to be generous and merciful to each other. Your brotherâs need was not to be capitalized on for personal gain. If you loaned money to a fellow Israelite, you were not to charge interest.
Because the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, and therefore recipients of Godâs generosity, they were to show impartial generosity to each other.
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What Does The Bible Say About How To Treat Others
Teaching our children what the Bible says about how to treat others is a crucial part of Christian parenting. It is important that we model and instill biblical principles that show our children the way God commands us to treat each other. And while we will still mess up along the way, Gods grace is sufficient for the times we find ourselves falling short of His Word.
One of the most amazing things about raising and influencing our children is that we have the honor of pointing them straight to Jesus. I am grateful for the gift of the Holy Spirit inside of us showing us how to be children of light and convicting us when we miss the mark. This gift has made raising our children easier as we have confidence in His leading.
Acts : 3235 Set A Generous Example
And now I commit you to God and to the message of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyoneâs silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands have provided for my needs and for those who were with me. In every way Iâve shown you that by laboring like this, it is necessary to help the weak and to keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, for He said, âIt is more blessed to give than to receive.â
Paulâs visit with the Ephesians ends with these words. He wants to leave them an example to follow. The pattern he wants to impart is one of hard work and sacrifice because he wants them to understand the virtue of generous living.
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Matthew : 1921 Investing In Future Treasure
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
In keeping with some of these Old Testament passages, Jesus challenges us with a choice: accumulate stuff here , or use it in such a generous way that weâre investing it in the coming Kingdom.
When we are generous with the things that come through our life, we are actually sending it ahead, and weâll be compensated by God.
The beauty in this passage is found in Jesusâ promise that as we invest our resources in Godâs Kingdom, our heart will also be pulled in that direction. If you ever find yourself praying that God would awaken a desire in your heart for Kingdom things, try practicing generosity for a couple months.
But Self Care Isnt About Self Indulgence Its About Refreshing And Renewing Our Minds Bodies Souls And Spirits
These are aspects that God created, the ones we use to glorify him.
No, the Bible does not tell us, in so many words, to practice self-care. But taking care of yourself is assumed, a given.
The Bible says to love your neighbor as you love yourself . It commands husbands to love their wives as their own bodiesafter all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church .
Its not a commandment. But it is a given that we will take care of ourselves, that we do treat ourselves with love and consideration.
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What Is The Meaning Of ‘do Unto Others’ In Luke : 31 And Matthew : 12
The Book of Luke and the Book of Matthew were written by Luke and Matthew respectively. Luke is one of the prominent writers of the New Testament. In addition to the Book of Luke, he also authored Acts. Though he did not bear witness to Jesus ministry firsthand, he studied the works of Christ through others such as Paul, whom he worked with. On the other hand, Matthew was a tax collector who left his life to follow Jesus ministry, becoming one of the 12 disciples. In both of their books, we see a repeated idea of doing unto others.
Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.
In the verse from Matthew, he begins the passage admonishing readers to not judge in order to avoid judgment. He goes on to say that the measure by which we judge others is the measure by which we will be judged. Judged by who? God. He continues that we cannot complain and harshly criticize others if we ourselves have problems of our own. He refers to these personal problems as a splinter and a beam of wood
How do we respond? The answer again appears in Scripture. Jesus says to bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Our call then, to do unto others as we want done to ourselves extends to everyone. Everyone. God has not intended for our love to be reserved just for Him, or for only people who think, look, and act like us.
What Is The Meaning Of Do Unto Others In Luke : 31 And Matthew : 12
The Book of Luke and the Book of Matthew were written by Luke and Matthew respectively. Luke is one of the prominent writers of the New Testament. In addition to the Book of Luke, he also authored Acts. Though he did not bear witness to Jesus ministry firsthand, he studied the works of Christ through others such as Paul, whom he worked with. On the other hand, Matthew was a tax collector who left his life to follow Jesus ministry, becoming one of the 12 disciples. In both of their books, we see a repeated idea of doing unto others.
Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.
In the verse from Matthew, he begins the passage admonishing readers to not judge in order to avoid judgment. He goes on to say that the measure by which we judge others is the measure by which we will be judged. Judged by who? God. He continues that we cannot complain and harshly criticize others if we ourselves have problems of our own. He refers to these personal problems as a splinter and a beam of wood
How do we respond? The answer again appears in Scripture. Jesus says to bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Our call then, to do unto others as we want done to ourselves extends to everyone. Everyone. God has not intended for our love to be reserved just for Him, or for only people who think, look, and act like us.
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What Does The Golden Rule Teach Us About God And Man
The idea of treating others as you want to be treated is known as the Golden Rule. A great example of the Golden rule comes about in the story of the Good Samaritan . Jesus intentionally gives an example of both a priest and a Levite as being the people who ignored the Jew robbed and hurt on the side of the road. And yet a Samaritan, someone who should despise the Jew, inconvenienced himself to care for a stranger. Jesus makes clear which of the three figures God was pleased with for helping the Jew.
This information is vital for evaluating our own lives and ensuring we design our lives around how God defines love. Love does not occur when we want convenience or prefer the person. Love is meant for everyone, just as God loves everyone.
Do To Others Whatever You Would Like Them To Do To You This Is The Essence Of All That Is Taught In The Law And The Prophets Matthew : 12
This simple saying that Jesus said can be applied in so many aspects of life. If you ever are in doubt on what to do in a situation where your dealing with others, you can use this Bible verse. If someone is being mean to you, how would you want them to treat you, then do that. If you see someone in financial or simply need and you have the ability to make a difference, think what youd like others to do to you in that situation and do that.
This also can be applied in being bold to others. It might not be popular to tell someone the truth, but in the long run, wouldnt you rather have someone tell you the truth? If youre heading down a destructive path, wouldnt you like someone to have had the guts to possibly stand up to ridicule and say, hey I know this is popular and everyone else is doing it, but this is hurting you and its not Gods best.
Think of ways you could apply this Bible verse in your life and pray that God would show you how you can treat others how youd want to be treated.
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Proverbs 2: 9 Expecting The Lords Generosity
Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.
Many people live from deficit, believing that thereâs only so much to go aroundâand if you donât get yours, someone else will. Itâs nearly impossible to see the world that way and be a generous person.
However, if you live with a âbountiful eyeâ that sees the world ruled by a magnanimous God who âowns the cattle on a thousand hillsâ , youâre more apt to be open-handed with the resources you have, because you know that God will repay you.
Remember Christ And Your New Life In Him
I was once dead in my own sin and disobedience. While I was still a sinner, Christ died for me. I had nothing to offer Christ, but he reached out to me. He died for me. Now, I have a brand new life in him. Because of grace, I have a new chance to do better each and every day and the assurance that he will never leave me nor forsake me. He died for you too.
- Have you found encouragement from belonging to Christ?
- Have you felt any comfort from his love?
- Have you been blessed by fellowship with his Spirit?
Then respond by loving other people with the love that you receive daily. Work hard to live in harmony with everyone you come in contact with .
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O Bible Verses About Being Kind
For centuries, people have recognized the power of kindness. Not only does being kind help others around you, but it positively impacts your life as well!
If you need some encouragement to keep fighting the kind fight, going to the Bible to read scripture is a great way to get instruction and inspiration. Here are several of our favorite Bible verses about being kind to get you started.
And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. You have heard that it is said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Matthew 5:40-43 ESV
But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
Luke 6:27 ESV
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great.
Luke 6:35 ESV
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.
Matthew 7:12 ESV
Love is patient and kind love does not envy or boast it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way it is not irritable or resentful it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV
Bible Verses About Giving To Others To Share With Your Kids
Explaining to our children how and why God wants us to give to others can be challenging. In its simplest form, giving is an act of worship something we do graciously and for the right reasons.
To help teach your children to understand how and why God wants us to give so selflessly, we have compiled the following bible verses about giving to others.
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