The Giving Heart and Wise Hands

 

The Giving Heart and Wise Hands 

Proverbs 3:27  

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act."

James 1:5  

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

Matthew 5:3, 7  

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven... Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."

The Giving Heart and Wise Hands  

True faith bridges the gap between what we receive from God and what we give to others. James reminds us we serve a God who gives haplos, without strings attached. When life leaves us confused, He does not scold our ignorance. He pours out wisdom simply because we asked.

But wisdom is not given just for our comfort. Proverbs 3:27 puts a demand on it: if the El, the capacity to do good, is in your hands, use it. Reread that. Resources. Time. Or ability. If we have it and someone needs it, withholding it is a failure of love.

Jesus flips the world’s scorecard in the Beatitudes. Blessedness does not belong to the self-sufficient. It belongs to the poor in spirit, those who know they are empty without God, and to the merciful, who have learned to give what they have received. 

When we became homeless, I got busy. I made calls. I scheduled appointments. I tried desperately to fix our lives by my own strength. Nothing changed until I reached the end of myself and surrendered it all to God. I was completely poor in spirit, hopeless on my own. I even tried to give away my beloved animals, a sacrifice I knew would break me. But God, in His gentle wisdom, had a plan all along.

That is where power gets turned upside down. Only after realizing how spiritually and physically poor I was without God did I understand what it means to hold resources, time, or ability. We do not hoard when we realize everything we own belongs to Him anyway. We simply become clean channels for His unconditional generosity.

I was blessed with a giving heart. I find great joy in helping others. I have told God that if He gave me a million dollars, I could give it away to ordinary people in need in less than a year. I would go to the poorest area in each state, volunteer at the food pantry, find the most generous poor person there, and give them 20k after tithing ten percent to Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church. 

God gives wisdom so we know how to give. He gives a heart so we want to give. When we pair wise hands with a giving heart, we reflect the haplos generosity of our Father.

Word Study: Hebrew & Greek Roots 1. Blessed (Makarios – Μακάριος)  

In Matthew 5, Jesus repeats the word "blessed." In ancient Greek, makarios referred to a deep, inward joy. It describes a state of spiritual satisfaction that does not depend on outward circumstances. It is not a fleeting emotion like happiness, but a soul-deep well-being rooted in God's favor.

 2. Power (El – אֵל)  

Proverbs 3:27 warns us to act when it is in the "power" of our hands. The Hebrew word here is El. While often a name for God signifying might, in this context it means human capacity, strength, or resource. If God has placed the El, the capacity to do good, into your hands, He expects you to use it for others.

 3. Generously (Haplos – Ἁπλῶς)  

James 1:5 states that God gives "generously." The Greek word haplos means singly, simply, or sincerely. It implies giving that is unconditional, without hidden motives or strings attached. God gives to us purely out of love, setting the ultimate example for how we should give to those around us.

 Prayer  

Father, thank You for giving wisdom haplos, without finding fault in me. Forgive me for the times I have held back when I had the power to help. Make me poor in spirit so I stop trusting my own strength. Give me wise hands to know what to do, and a giving heart that reflects Yours. Use my resources, my time, and my ability as clean channels of Your mercy. I surrender my plans for Your plan. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Lord's Prayer  

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

BELIEVE, OBEY, BE BLESSED, AMEN. ❤️ 

Love, Penny 💛 

BOBBA