He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done. (Proverbs 19:17)

Duane Zook, Global Chairman of Global Aid Network, prays for a young earthquake victim, whose mother and father could not be found.

The recent cataclysmic earthquake in Haiti has galvanized much of the world into action, an amazing response that includes a number of supernatural components including seeing the hearts of several world leaders moved (Proverbs 21:1). Though hundreds of thousands were killed, millions were spared with remarkable testimonies of survival being shared for many days afterward.

Did you know that when you help someone who is poor that you are directly making a loan to God? Not that God needs anything from us, but He has set things up in this world to work through the hands of women and men to take our ordinary talents and multiply them into extraordinary blessings to those who have nothing.

But God rewards us for our kindness to the poor whether they be someone who has been dug out of the rubble in Port-au-Prince; an orphaned child in a desolate, war-torn land; or an elderly neighbor who is desperately trying to hold onto her home. When you help the poor, you are ministering to God.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. (Matthew 25:35, 36)

Clearly, God gives us many chances to help people who are impoverished physically, spiritually, or both. Even if the world was somehow a place where everyone’s temporal needs were taken care of, the spiritual need would remain.

But our world is far from being that comfortable place as wars, famine, disease, corrupt governments, and a host of other reasons conspire to keep people down. Yes, you will even have a group of people who simply will not work, but I am not talking about them. Untold millions are poor, needing to be ministered to, but the workers are few though the harvest is great.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:37-38)

You may not be called to go on a mission trip, but you certainly can be missional minded. That kind of thinking has you praying and taking action as the Lord leads, seeking for ways to make a difference in the lives of the poor, giving to God with the side benefit that you will be rewarded for your efforts.

Photo Credit: Global Aid Network (Campus Crusade for Christ)

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A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men — Proverbs 18:16 (WEB).

How important is it to give a gift? Well, judging by this one scripture in Proverbs, it can be extremely important.

I’m old enough to recall a time when it was commonplace for people to give gifts at Christmastime to people who were helpful to them throughout the year. Back then it was expected that you would tip the mailman, butcher, delivery boy, doorman and anyone else in a service position. Those tips usually helped to compensate for a modest salary, providing a nice year end gift to see the person through the holiday season.

But, it was also considered by many to be a “bribe” of sorts to curry favor with the recipient. If you wanted the doorman to hail a taxi for you in a driving rain or have the newspaper boy leave your news in a dry place, then you’d compensate them accordingly, otherwise you’d risk being ignored for the ensuing twelve month period!

Jacob was someone who was wise to the importance of not only giving a gift but a very big one at that. In his case his powerful brother Esau was the recipient although Jacob’s motive for blessing him was purely a matter of self preservation.

You see, the last time that they saw each other Jacob tricked their father, Isaac, into blessing him instead of Esau (Genesis 27:27-29). Jacob fled the scene with Esau pondering Jacob’s demise in his heart (Genesis 27:41); those words were relayed to Jacob via their mother Rebekah (v.42), which forced Jacob to flee and stay away for many years.

Upon returning, Jacob feared that Esau would still be angry with him, hence the unusually large gift to appease his brother.

So he spent the night there. Then he selected from what he had with him a present for his brother Esau: two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milking camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys — Genesis 32:12-14 (NASB).

I can think of a better gift to receive and one without any strings (or hard feelings) attached whatsoever — God’s salvation.

You see, God sent His son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world would be saved through Jesus (John 3:17). It is a gift that was freely given, available to all humankind and something you cannot earn, buy, or trade for. Your gifts to God are nothing in comparison to what He has for you, although giving your life to Him is one gift that God will always receive.

I certainly can do nothing to merit God’s favor and I’m actually glad for that. Even before I was fully aware that my sins separated me from God, the gift of salvation was there waiting.

When I recognized my sinfulness and my need to be forgiven, I unlocked a gift that keeps on giving. I understood that Jesus dying for my sins and rising from the dead absolved me of my sins and opened the way to life everlasting.

Most gifts are quickly forgotten, often forsaken and sometimes broken or delivered with strings attached. The gift of salvation has been given by God which allows the recipient to be brought before the One who is above great men.

Have you opened up your gift of salvation yet?

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