DO NOT WITH HOLD GOOD… 

“Do not with-hold good to those whom it is due, when it is in Your Power to do good.Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you…”– {Prov 3;27-28.}

 “Them to whom it is due—i.e., the poor and needy.”- {Ellicotts Commentary}

“…We are to do good to those who are in need or deserving of it, whenever we have the means and opportunity. “-{Pulpit Commentary.} The writer speaks of DOING GOOD WHEN IT IS WITHIN YOUR POWER. And included is helping those in need. V 28. Some commentators express the ‘excuse; and indeed the unveiling of a “covetous heart.” in putting off the deed until “tomorrow,” when no one is guaranteed tomorrow. It got me thinking, “what excuses, do we give to cover up a covetous heart when opportunity comes before us in doing- good in meeting the need?” “Come back tomorrow I will give it to you…” why put off the deed? ” when you have it with you…”

Covetousness is exposed in this passage.

“Too often the cold repulse—Go, and come again—is a cover for selfishness. There is a secret hope, that the matter will be forgotten, dropped, or taken up by some other party…We should cultivate a quick sensibility of others; putting ourselves as much as possible in their place; not only “doing good,” but “ready to every good work…we are, after the example of our God, to love mercy; seizing the present, perhaps the only, opportunity; rather anticipating the need, than wantonly or thoughtlessly delaying to relieve it.

The Gospel presents every neighbor before us, as a brother or sister needing our help, and to be loved and cared for “as ourselves.” Why do we not more readily acknowledge this standard? The Lord raise us from our selfishness, and mould us to His own image of mercy and love!” -{Charles bridges}.

Don’t deny, but cheerfully, freely gladly impart to the it.

“…The precept expresses the great Scriptural thought that the so-called possession of wealth is but a stewardship; that the true owners of what we call our own are those to whom, with it, we may do good. Not to relieve them is a breach of trust.”-{Barnes}

The way we treat others is in exact proportion to the way we treat the LORD Jesus.

“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”-{Matt 25:40}

“If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD–and he will repay you!”

-{Prov 19:17}

 ” Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.  But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”-{Mark 12:41-44}

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;  for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “-{Matt 6;19-21}.

“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.  “- {Hebrews 13:16}

“The money we spend upon our own pleasures, and to promote our own interests, is spent and gone; but the money given with an open hand to those poor children of God, to whom it is strictly due, is not spent at all, but laid up in the most secure of banks. “-{Expositors Commentary}

Others in need should see the love of God expressed through us, YOU, ME, in their hour of need! And what a motivation to Do so, to Express Love to Him, AND HE SAYS we are doing it to… Him. He takes it personally! And when we give to the poor, those in need, we see we are lending, giving to Him!! Invest in people is investing in Him and investing in Heaven, AND IT will be safe there… and the return will be from Him!

 He is not a far off those in need, He is present, He cares, He watches, just as He did when the poor woman gave her mite. He knew what was in the hearts of all who gave! he knew though some gave more in numbers, they gave less in percentage. She gave “all!” And she is in the Scripture before us as an example of a woman who loved Him… and whom He commends! Can He commend you? Me?…

I think sometimes we confuse “ownership,” with ‘stewardship.’ ‘Ownership’ says, ‘this is MINE.’ “Stewardship,” realizes it is owned by another, I am  as are you, but the manager of it on their behalf…. in this case, on God’s behalf!

“Do not with-hold good to those whom it is due, when it is in Your Power to do good. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you…”– {Prov 3;27-28.}

DO GOOD WHEN YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DO SO. And in doing so we often give a little bit of our selfishness away, which is a good thing! Do good from a new heart, a loving heart, and God says He loves a Cheerful{ the word means Hilarious} giver! “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”-{2 Cor 9:7}

A “CHEERFUL” Giver!

It was around Christmas time and I was walking towards my vehicle having been in a store to purchase, gifts , toys for a large family around Christmas time whom I was on my way to see along with my second oldest son, who was maybe  7-8 years old at the time. When I was in the sore, and he learned why we were there, he asked if he could have some money so he could buy some present too. I gave him some… and as we walked out later to the car park and just before I opened the doors of the vehicle, he began to laugh and laugh. i looked at him carrying several plastic bags in each hand filled with gifts. We both got in the vehicle and I turned to ask what he was laughing about. He responded with words i have never forgot, “This is So much FUN!!!” and I immediately saw what  the verse looked like to be a “CHEERFUL GIVER!” He never asked for anything for himself, his only request was to be able to help others and in doing so , was exuberant with joy and beaming, laughing and declaring, “This is So Much FUN!”

Do Good when it’s in your power… be a Cheerful Giver. The way it is written grammatically is, “A CHEERFUL GIVER GOD LOVES!”