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)
