Can We Trust The Bible?
Lance Hahn
Morning
Verse
00:00
Play
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. ” Proverbs 19:17
Ready to Deepen Your Faith?
Reflection
When we purchase a home, we often look at the agreed upon "cash price" for the house, but we seldom think about what the cost of the home will be over the life of the loan. If you've ever calculated the interest for a 30-year mortgage, you know the shock that comes when you realize what you're actually going to pay for the home. As a singular example, if you bought a $500,000 home on a 30-year mortgage (at today's interest rate), by the time you paid the home off, you will have paid, not $500 thousand dollars, but $1 million, 201 thousand, 173 dollars, and .31 cents for that $500 thousand dollar home. That's well over twice the price you thought you were paying for your house! Paying back a loan is awful, and the indebtedness is insane!
Curiously, in our verse for today, the proverb speaks of how, when we "lend" to the poor, we're really "lending to the Lord," and He will "repay" us. But can that be? Is it really possible that Jesus' "pays interest" on our good works, our kind deeds? Well, that's exactly what the proverb tells us. After all, isn't this what Jesus promises you and me in Matthew 19:29? "And everyone who has sacrificed houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields—for my name's sake—will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life."
Yes, Jesus is promising us "interest" on our "loan" to Him. Just to put the Lord's form of generosity into perspective, the $500 thousand dollar house (which mentioned above)—after interest—is an increase of slightly less than 1.2 "fold." However, the Lord offers us a "hundred-fold" increase (when we do good). That means that our $500 thousand dollars of "service" or "graciousness" to the "poor" would be paid back to us by Jesus as the equivalent of $50 million dollars in blessings—with "eternal life" added on as a bonus! In essence, Proverbs 19:17 is a testament to what the Apostle Paul taught (many years later): "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Evening
Verse
Monday, Oct 7
Today's Theme: Encouragement
00:00
Play
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. ” Jeremiah 29:11
Save
Share
Intepretation of the Verse
In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking to the Israelites at a time of great despair. They were exiled, living in Babylon, far from their homeland. Jeremiah's words were meant to offer hope and assurance during this period of upheaval. His message was not just for their immediate comfort but also to give them a perspective of a hopeful future planned by God.
This passage in Jeremiah speaks directly to the heart of encouragement, especially in the face of uncertainty and difficulty. It's a reminder that even when our current circumstances seem bleak or disheartening, there is a broader plan for good, for hope, and for a future. This can be particularly resonant for us when we face our own periods of doubt or when our path seems unclear. It's a call to trust in a greater plan that we might not fully understand yet.
