Deuteronomy 15:7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: 8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
This passage of scripture addresses an ongoing need that frequently arises between brethren, friends, and family members, including church members, for most of us have been brought into straightened places at some point or another in our experience. The counsel here given must not only be clearly understood, but it must be actively practiced whenever the stated need arises, and whenever we have the ability to lend a helping hand. One of the principles outlined here is that of cultivating a generous and charitable spirit to those who are in need, regardless of whether we get along with them or not, for the Bible makes no distinction. The prerequisite for being eligible for help is being needy, not being friendly, and in addition to this, the Bible speaks of the principle of opening our hands wide, and lending, not a little for conscience sake, as is often the case, but rather lending sufficient to fill each other's needs.
Furthermore, the spirit in which we lend is more important than how much we lend, for it is found that in many cases, the lender harbors certain viable concerns about the borrower, especially if the situation is desperate, and the borrower is destitute, and therefore the Lord gives us another principle to guide us in such situations as well. Let's read:
Luke 6:34 "And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest." ..... 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
The reason for these and similar counsels stems from the way in which God deals with us as debtors, for when we had nothing wherewith to pay for our sins, God stepped in and rescued us through Jesus Christ, and therefore the material gifts He has lent us should be willingly dispersed to those who are in need. The human tendency to lend or help only to those who can repay is one of the evils Christ was addressing when He told the rich young ruler to sell what he had and give to the poor. The wealthy ruler most likely would have been much more willing to lend or give to his rich friends and associates, for then he could reasonably expect the favor in return. But to give to the poor was in his mind almost a guarantee that his riches would soon be diminished, and so he turned away from Christ in utter dismay. Let's read:
Matthew 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
In our day and in our own experiences, we should be always ready and willing to lend a helping hand to those who are less fortunate than ourselves, for the traits of unbiased benevolence and genuine kindness are what characterizes true Christians, distinguishing them from those who give and lend in order to receive income tax deductions, and other personal benefits and incentives. We therefore end with a promise which should encourage everyone to exercise kindness whenever a genuine need arises, for it is more blessed to give than to receive. Let's read:
Proverbs 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
May we put into practice the principles here given, for we are to cultivate kindness and mercy as tender plants, so that the love of God can be shed abroad in the hearts of those with whom we interact on a daily basis. God Bless!