Francis Chan, in his book Crazy Love, tells of a family with an
interesting Christmas tradition. On Christmas morning, the Robynson family
doesn’t focus on opening presents under the Christmas tree. Instead, they make
pancakes and coffee, and serve the breakfast to the homeless. This is a small
but creative way to show God’s love and generosity to the poor.
God expected this kind of generosity from His people.
In Deuteronomy 15, Moses emphasized the reality of poverty and how the more
affluent must deal with it. They were warned of four dangers:A hard heart, ignoring the needs of the poor (v.7).A
closed hand, withholding what
the poor lacked (v.7).
An evil thought, hesitating or refusing to loan money to the poor
because the year of canceling debts was nearing (v.9). A grudging spirit, a reluctance to satisfy the needs of
the poor among them (v.10). Not only were they warned about selfishness, but
more important, they were encouraged to be spontaneously generous (vv.8,10,11).
Among God’s people, there must always be a spirit of
generosity toward the poor. Let’s open our hearts and our hands.
Generosity stems from the heart that has experienced God’s grace. (RBC)
