The Mines of King Solomon (part 18)
"The only thing I wanted to do was sin. I thought bad words and I wanted to say them ... "Bill Hybels was ready and upset. The famous Christian leader had two delayed flights on his trip from Chicago to Los Angeles and sat on the departure ramp of the airport for six hours on a full-filled plane and then his connecting flight was canceled. He finally got on the plane and collapsed into his seat. His carry-on was on his lap because there was no room in the cabin and under the seats. Just as the plane began to move slowly, he noticed a woman hurrying to the door and falling down the corridor. She was carrying several bags that flew everywhere, but that was her least problem. What aggravated her situation was the fact that one eye was "literally swollen" and it seemed that she could not read the seat numbers with the other eye. The flight attendants were not in sight. While he was still foaming with rage and pitying himself, Hybel's god whispered in his ear, "Bill, I know, this was not one of the good days for you. You missed flights and waited, stood in lines and you hated it. But now you have the chance to make the day better by getting up and showing kindness to this desperate woman. I'm not going to force you to do it, but I think you'll be happy to be surprised if you do. "
Part of me wanted to say, "Certainly not! I just do not feel like it. "But another voice said," Maybe my feelings have nothing to do with it. Maybe I should just do it. "So he got up, walked down the corridor and asked the lady if he could help her find her place. When he found out that she spoke only broken English, he took her bags, which had fallen to the floor, led her to her seat, stowed her luggage, took her jacket off and made sure that she was wearing a seatbelt. Then he went back to his seat.
“May I be a little mystical for a moment?” he writes. “As I sat back down in my seat, a wave of warmth and bliss washed over me. The frustration and tension that had plagued me all day began to melt away. I felt my dusty soul being cleansed by a warm summer rain. For the first time in 18 hours, I felt good.” Proverbs 11:25 (ESV) is true: “Whoever does good will be richly satisfied, and whoever gives drink will also be given drink.”
King Solomon borrowed these words from a picture of agriculture and literally means that the one who waters should also be watered himself. He thought this was perhaps a typical practice of farmers when he wrote these words. During the rainy season, when the rivers cross, some peasants, whose fields are near a river bank, drain the water into large reservoirs. Then, during the drought, the selfless farmer helps his neighbors, who have no water reservoir. He then carefully opens the locks and leads the life-giving water to the fields of the neighbors. When another period of drought comes, the selfless farmer has little or no water for himself. The neighboring peasants, who in the meantime have built a reservoir, would repay his friendliness by supplying his fields with water.
It's not about giving something to get something
It is not about donating 100 euros so that God can give back the same amount or more. This saying does not explain what the generous receive (not necessarily financially or materially), but rather they experience something that is much deeper than physical happiness. Solomon says: "Those who like to do good will be well satisfied". The Hebrew word for "satiate / refresh / prosper" does not mean an increase in money or goods, but it means prosperity in spirit, in knowledge and in feelings.
In 1 Kings, we read the story of the prophet Elijah and a widow. Elijah is hiding from the evil King Ahab, and God instructs him to go to the city of Zarephath. “I have commanded a widow there to provide for you,” God tells him. When Elijah arrives in the city, he finds a widow gathering firewood and asks her for water and bread. She replies, “As surely as the Lord your God lives, I have no baked goods, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I have gathered a log or two and am going home to prepare food for myself and my son, so that we may eat and die.” (1 Kings 17:9-12)
Maybe life has become too difficult for the widow and she has given up. It was physically impossible for her to feed two people, let alone three, with what little she had.
But the text continues:
“Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and do as you have said. But first bake some bread for me and bring it to me; then bake some for yourself and for your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “The jar of flour will not be used up, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.”’” So she went and did as Elijah had said. And he, she, and her son ate day after day. The jar of flour was not used up, nor the jug of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke through Elijah. (1 Kings 17:13-16) Morning and evening, day in and day out, the widow found flour in her jar and oil in her jug. Proverbs 11:17 says, “Kindness feeds your soul” (New Living Translation). Not only was her "soul" nourished, but her entire life. She gave of her little, and her little was multiplied.
If we have not yet understood the lesson, a few verses later:
"One person gives generously and always has more; another withholds what he shouldn't, and yet becomes poorer." (Spr 11,24)Our Lord Jesus knew this when he said: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap; for with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Lk 6,38)Also read about it at 2. Kor 9,6-15!
Have limits
It's not about always doing good deeds. We must combine our generosity with sound judgment. We can't respond to every need. Proverbs 3:27 instructs us: "Do not withhold good from the needy, if your hand is able." This implies that some people don't deserve our help, perhaps because they are lazy and unwilling to take responsibility for their own lives. They take advantage of help and generosity. Set boundaries and don't refuse help.
What talents and gifts has God blessed you with? Do you have a little more money than others? What spiritual gifts do you possess? Hospitality? Encouragement? Why not refresh someone with our abundance? Don't be a reservoir that remains filled to the brim. We are blessed so that we can be a blessing. (1. Petr 3,9)Ask God to show you how to faithfully share His goodness and refresh others. Is there someone you can show generosity, kindness, and compassion to this week? Perhaps through prayer, actions, words of encouragement, or by drawing someone closer to Jesus. Perhaps through email, text message, phone call, letter, or visit.
Be like the laborers on the riverbed and let the blessing flow of the grace of God and His goodness soak in you and pass it on. Generous giving blesses other people and makes us part of God's kingdom here on earth. When you unite with God in a flow of love, joy and peace will flow in your life. Those who refresh others will be refreshed themselves. In other words, God has spooned it in, I spoon it out, God has the biggest spoon.
by Gordon Green
