God Repays

“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay him again” (Proverbs 19:17).

We are to give to the poor out of compassion. Not to be seen and applauded, or to get influence over them, but out of pure sympathy and a genuine heart of love we must give them help.

We must not expect to get anything back from the poor, not even gratitude; but we should rather consider what we have done as a loan to the Lord. He undertakes the obligation, and if repayment will be made, it will be made by Him alone. What an honor the Lord bestows upon us when He condescends to borrow from us! A merchant is greatly favored who has the Lord on his books. It would seem a pity to have such a name down for a minimal amount; let us make it a substantial sum. The next needy man that comes your way or mine, let us help him.

As for repayment, we can hardly think of it, and yet here in Proverbs 19:17 is the Lord’s promissory note. Blessed be His name, His promise to pay is better than gold and silver. Are we running a little short through the depression of the times? We may venture humbly to present this bill at the bank of faith. Has any one of our readers oppressed the poor? Poor soul. May the Lord forgive him.

—Adapted from Faith’s Checkbook by Charles H. Spurgeon