25 The [l]generous man will be [m]prosperous,
And he who waters will himself be watered.
26 He who withholds grain, the people will curse him,
But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
27 He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.
28 He who trusts in his riches will fall,
But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.
29 He who troubles his own house will inherit wind,
And the foolish will be servant to the wisehearted.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who is wise [n]wins souls.
31 If the righteous will be rewarded in the earth,
How much more the wicked and the sinner!
As I was thinking through this passage, and especially v. 26, God gave me this picture of a man who had grain bins full. Whatever the reason, He couldn’t bring himself to get rid of any. It may have been greed, or fear of running out, or something else. But he just wouldn’t sell any of it, and eventually, it started to rot. In the end, it did him no good, and people were starving, not for lack of money, but because the man would sell them no grain.
At first glance, this passage seems like just another encouragement to be generous, but with this picture in mind, there comes another wrinkle. Whether intentionally or not, are we hoarding God’s blessings? What has God given me, what has He given you? Is it material blessings, or talent, or even something you’re just not sure is a gift at all?
It reminds me of the VeggieTales spoof Lord of the Beans, where Toto asks, “what is my gift for?” He knew he had something, but didn’t know what to do with it. In the end, instead of hoarding it all to himself, he figured out that it was to help others. Toto gave away his gift, but it may be that you have something folks for which folks would willingly give you “certificates of gratitude”.
Whatever the case, open up your heart, and ask God the same question, “what is my gift for?” Maybe you need to first ask Him, “what is my gift?” We all have something to share, big or small, wealthy or poor, let God use you to be a blessing to others. Don’t be the one with moldy grain in your bins, but let it out so that there is always a fresh supply of God’s blessings.