PROVERBS 3
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
29 Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you.
30 Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways,
32 for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord,
but the upright are in his confidence.
33 The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
34 Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.
35 The wise will inherit honor, but fools getdisgrace.
– Proverbs 3:27-35
PROVERBS 3 HELP OR GIVE WITHOUT DELAY
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When someone you know is in need of help, do not delay
If it is within your power to extend assistance, do it quickly
If we procrastinate to give help to those in need, we are indifferent
When God gives us opportunities to show love, let’s respond promptly
If we delay giving at those times that our neighbors need it badly
We are caving in to the devil’s plot to make us more unloving and selfish.
Have you ever experienced someone asking your help and you didn’t give it at once? We all have done that at one or more occasions in our lives. One of the reasons we do so is because of our sinful nature. We are all selfish by nature and we always think of ourselves first and our comforts. We do not want to be uncomfortable or inconvenienced, so we don’t respond soon enough. We justify and analyze and then we don’t do anything. Solomon gives us wisdom when to extend help or give assistance to others. He advises us to do it without delay if it is in our power to do so. Procrastinating giving that help is not heeding the Holy Spirit’s invitation to show love to others.
REFLECTION
- How can we develop the mindset to extend help to others without delay?
