Proverbs 3:28 “do not say to your neighbour, “go and come again, tomorrow I will give it” – when you have it with you”
Families are weird sometimes. I remember being at home, probably around six or maybe seven years old, and it was the Christmas holidays. My auntie from London visited us one day unexpectedly and stayed for a while. She brought her boyfriend with her. My mum sat and chatted and I think my dad was there as well as it was probably Christmas Eve. They stayed for a while, and then as they were leaving they somehow invited themselves to come over for Christmas dinner with us the next day.
My mum was really annoyed with her sister, turning up unannounced, with her “latest” boyfriend, and expecting mum and dad to suddenly have two extra Christmas dinners. We did not really have any visitors that I can remember as a kid growing up, my mum kept the house perfect, but I’m not sure who it was for…
The next day we were instructed to stay very quiet and to keep all the curtains closed. If we went past the front door we were to be on our hands and knees so we would not be seen through the letterbox (wow – work that out).
Needless to say, my Auntie and her boyfriend never came to our door that day, maybe they had sensed something the day before that we kids were oblivious to. I think probably we missed out that day, and I know that Wendy and I as a family we have often now had “neighbours” join us for Christmas dinner.
My mum in her later years was an open house for neighbours and friends and had the uncanny ability to make friends wherever she went.
KNOWLEDGE
In the previous verse, we are guided to not withhold good from those to whom it is due when we have the power to do the good.
Here the writer is dealing with a similar issue, but going a level deeper. If you have the power to give something your neighbour needs – don’t delay, don’t procrastinate, don’t overthink the issue, and don’t use your position as leverage. Love is generous, wisdom is a giver, knowledge comprehends sacrifice, and understanding leans into obedience.
When we say, “I love you God”, or “I love you Jesus”, we are saying that we share the same values, we follow the same purpose and we are committed to the same vision – we are saying we are all in, that our love is a verb, it’s a generous love that puts others first in the way that God has put us first, it’s a response to a life given freely in love, to a dreadful and ugly death.
Our love is a verb, it’s a doing word, all about giving – never from duty, never from fear, but as a response to the perfect love that rescued us.
Mark 12:31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” – what are you doing intentionally today to love yourself – don’t delay, start today!
UNDERSTANDING
Let’s pick one word from this verse to look closer at and see if that can help us gain a deeper insight into how God would love us to live?
The word for a neighbour in Hebrew is pronounced “rea’ ” and this word appears 188 times in the Old Testament. In the ESV it is translated into English as, another; friend; companion; neighbour; comrade; fellow; opponent; lovers; and, husband. So there is a wide-ranging application of this word to cover neighbours, associates, and companions, really anyone we spend time with regularly.
WISDOM: what will your response be to Jesus’s love today?
STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Harmony allows us to bring peace into almost any situation by giving of ourselves, establishing areas of agreement, and building from there. We are an ambassador for the Kingdom of Heaven, and his ways are first.
Allan’s Unauthorised Version – [don’t speak to others who are close to you, or even to your own heart, to go away and then come back another vague time in the future and I will hand to you what you need then.]
PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Help me today to intentionally treat others as you treat me, with grace, favour, forgiveness and mercy. Thank you.
Scroll down and leave your thoughts, feedback, comments…….
Amen. Love is an action word. It is to treat others the way God treats us with grace, favour and mercy.
I love this part Ps Allan –
Love is generous, wisdom is a giver, knowledge comprehends sacrifice, and understanding leans in to obedience.
We are an ambassador for the Kingdom of Heaven, and his ways are first.
Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us this morning.
We are an ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven. So good!
Love God, love people.
We are saying we are all in, that our love is a verb. Love this line ALL in.
I love it, we are blessed to be a blessing! Thanks for the reminder Allan.
Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself- a great reminder of how we should be sharing God’s love as He pours it upon us daily. We are happy to receive kindness from God and others, ours should be the glass that is so full of compassion and love that whatever is poured into our lives automatically flows on into others and see these opportunities not as a disruption and nuisance but a God given opportunity. Thanks Allan
Thank you Pastor Allan again!
A very profound statement ‘love is generous, wisdom is a giver, knowledge comprehends sacrifice & understanding leans into obedience ‘! This says it all – do unto others as you would want them to do unto you …
My dads door was always open to every1 , the same way God Blessed my father, he always blessed other 😉👍🏾
Hi Ps Allan; thx u for God words; everything u writing so lovely in the God love
Thx u
God bless
Wisdom is generous,…understanding leans into obedience!
I watched my mother, when in my childhood years that how she understood that the ladies in the village who go pass through our gates with heavy load of woods on their head sweating and weary , hungry and thirsty after going through the forest area to gather woods for cooking meals!
Mother had a strategy: when they rest the heavy load on our fence and come to draw water from well to drink. She intentionally keep a vessel of rice kanji ( porridge)with salt added.I watched those ladies being refreshed after this drink and goIng their ways. ( I wish that I had a picture)
My mother took to heart that it’s a small thing she could do within her sphere of life. Knowledge comprehends sacrifice , understanding leans into obedience!
So profound .
Thank you.
In the same way that God pours out His blessings over us, we are taught to remember to love and help our fellow human beings. Not with promises of help for a distant future, but today, when they need it most.
Thank you, Pastor Allan.
I have seen the power of this in my life many times, and it’s such a wonderful feeling being able to give whether it’s your resources, time or skills to others. We are blessed to be a blessing to others.
Such a beautiful message, thankyou !
A beautiful prayer pastor Allan
“Help me just for today to live intentionally to treat people with love ,grace,forgiveness and mercy .
Thank you pastor Allan