Seed and Need
Psalm 41:1 “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.”
O.K.! Here’s the Real Life 101 question. Why is it that regardless of our financial situation (good, not so good, not so bad, bad, or terrible), there always seems to be someone worse off than we are? For some strange reason, when we are at the point of struggling just to make ends meet, here comes someone whose ends are not as close to meeting as our own. What do you do?
Well, the best thing I can tell you to do is pray, and then do whatever God has placed on your heart to do. Quite often, and believe me I’ve been there, God will tell you to sow your last $10 into someone worse off than you. Why? Because there is a principle working here called “seed and need,” and God’s trying to get you to work the principle in order to move you into a “better” financial position. Let’s look at how this principle works.
Our text tells us, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor.” The word “blessed” means enabled, encouraged, and empowered to prosper. So the text could basically read, “Enabled, Encouraged, and Empowered to Prosper is he that considereth the poor.” Well, who are the poor? Relatively speaking, they are those people who are worse off than you are. The poor might be the homeless brother or sister who comes along right when you are struggling to make your house payment. The poor might even be that person with no food at all when you are trying to put together meals with the food you have left in your pantry. But even during our own time of need, we need to “consider” the poor. Here’s why:
“The LORD will deliver [us] in time of trouble.” In other words, we get a “Get Out of Trouble” card, which I’m sure we all can use in this life. You see, whenever trouble shows its ugly head, the LORD God Himself will deliver us because we delivered someone else. Aaahhhhh… Did you catch that? You’ve been wondering, “Why is it that even though I struggle to make these payments, I always come across someone else who needs help?” Why is it you ask? Because God is setting you up for a breakthrough through your giving.
Every seed the LORD has instructed you to sow will not be sown in vain. As Hebrews 6:10 tells us, “God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” You see, God will not forget what you have done; He is anxious to help you. So the next time someone comes to you with a need, be very prayerful about giving, for in planting a seed, you just might be meeting your need!