5d • Wisdom
The Divine Economy
‘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
This verse unveils one of the most astonishing truths in all of Scripture—that acts of mercy toward the poor are viewed by God as personal loans made directly to Him. The Lord identifies so closely with the needy that when we give to them, we are in effect giving to Him. What we offer in compassion, He takes as a sacred trust, promising to repay it in His perfect time and way.
This principle is woven throughout Scripture. Proverbs 14:31 declares, “He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.” To show mercy is to honor God Himself, for the poor are precious to Him. Psalm 41:1 adds, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.” God not only notices such generosity—He personally involves Himself in blessing those who show it. When we act with pity, we reflect His own heart, for He is “a father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows” (Psalm 68:5).
Jesus gave this truth its fullest expression in Matthew 25:40, when He said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Every cup of cold water, every act of compassion, every sacrifice made for another in love—these are offerings that rise before the Lord as worship. God keeps no man’s debt; what we give for His sake, He remembers. Luke 6:38 promises, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over.” The divine repayment may come through provision, peace, protection, or eternal reward—but it always comes.
This verse also teaches that generosity is not loss, but investment. The world fears giving, thinking it depletes wealth; God says giving multiplies it. Second Corinthians 9:6 reminds us, “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” To lend to the Lord is to place treasure in the safest hands possible. No earthly institution offers such a guarantee as God does when He says, “I will pay him again.”
Practically, this verse calls believers to open their hearts and hands toward those in need, not out of pity alone but out of reverence for God. True pity is not mere sentiment—it is love in motion, generosity shaped by compassion. It requires seeing people as God sees them, recognizing His image in the least of them. The believer who gives with this mindset becomes a vessel through which God’s mercy flows.
Proverbs 19:17 reveals the divine economy of grace—what we release in mercy, God returns in blessing. When we lend to the poor, we lend to the Lord who once became poor for our sake, that we through His poverty might be rich. Every act of kindness to others is ultimately an act of worship toward Him, and the Lord, who cannot lie, promises to remember and repay every deed done in love.
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The Divine Economy
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