“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
Growing Dominion, Part 138
“He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor” (Prov. 22:9).
The duty of almsgiving is assumed in this text, and it is reinforced with the promise of blessing for the giver. Of course, it goes without saying that the recipient of the gift is blessed (at least to the extent of the gift), but the thing mentioned in the verse is the fact that the giver receives. The giver is blessed. This is a scriptural commonplace—the one who gives to the poor is lending to the Lord, and if you cast your bread on the waters it returns to you. The Bible teaches that money is seed and that the deserving poor are fertile soil. The undeserving poor are a more difficult case. This does not mean that no seed should go there, but rather it simply means that other things have to be done as well. If you want to plant seed in some places, you have to clear the brush, and remove the rocks. In other places, all you do is plant. Some of the poor simply need a helping hand. Others need to be brought to the place where a helping hand will actually help. What enables us to see and distinguish one situation from another? A bountiful eye.