Giving That God Delights In (Proverbs 19:17)
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Proverbs 19:17
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will repay him for his deed.
Another day, another example of how generosity honors not just the one to whom we’re being generous, but the Lord Himself.
But notice today what’s different. Solomon says, “and he will repay him for his deed.”
Look. Let’s be clear—you should never be generous with the expectation that God is going to return the favor. If that’s your motive, you’re not really giving a gift at all; you’re entering into a transaction, treating God like your business partner.
But this proverb is showing us something deeper. When generosity flows from a heart that genuinely wants to serve and honor the Lord and love your neighbor, God sees it. He delights in it. And He promises that you will not ultimately lose.
That doesn’t mean a guaranteed financial return, as if heaven were a vending machine. It means that when you mirror God’s own generosity, you can trust that He will care for you—that your giving will never leave you abandoned or empty-handed. The greatest proof of that is Jesus Himself: “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
So don’t give in order to get. Give because you already have—in Him.
Let’s pray.
