He That Hath A Bountiful Eye Shall Be Blessed; For He Gives Of His Bread To The Poor - Part 1897

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent [shrewd] in their own sight!" (Isaiah 5:20-21)

Increasingly, we are seeing more and more old time prophecies coming to pass which, for many believers in Jesus by faith, means that the coming of our Lord draws nigh. A time when we can look for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. (James 5:8; Titus 2:13; Titus 3:4-7)

Jesus said, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draws nigh." (Luke 21:28) This is our promise from the King of kings and Lord of lords. Our hope and joy from the Giver of life. The Bread of life, our God and King who willingly came into this world to redeem His beloved creation from eternal damnation, and to fill them with His joy and peace and mercy and love. So much so, that our cup runneth over, and those around us, see His Light dwelling from within.

To this end, two scriptural references come to mind. The first of a man whose heart was immediately transformed when he met Jesus, and as such, willing to step out in faith regarding his worldly possessions, and the wrongs he had committed against others. For that, the Lord Jesus told him -- "This day is salvation come to this house ..." And similarly a scriptural passage from Proverbs. Both have merit, because we learn that when we truly apply our hearts unto the Lord Jesus the Christ, and listen intently to His instruction and counsel, we will know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that "Thy Word is truth." (John 17:17)

Why? Because Jesus the Christ is the Rock of ages. The very same Rock which followed the Israelites through the Red Sea. And, as David the psalmist points out, "I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my Rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies." (Psalm 18:1-3) But I digress.

In the first example, there was a man named Zacchaeus who desired in his heart to see Jesus. But he was such a small man and thus, could not see the Lord over the multitudes gathered around Him. So, he climbed up into a sycamore tree. And, when the Lord Jesus passed by, He looked up and told Zacchaeus to come down out of that tree because Jesus was going to his house that day. I should also note that Zacchaeus was a publican, a tax collector, who had already earned the wrath of the community. Note the transformation in Zacchaeus. From Luke 19:1-10:

"And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who He was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him: for He was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, "Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house." And he made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully.

And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, "That He was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner." [But] Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: "BEHOLD, LORD, THE HALF OF MY GOODS I GIVE TO THE POOR; AND IF I HAVE TAKEN ANY THING FROM ANY MAN BY FALSE ACCUSATION, I RESTORE HIM FOUR-FOLD." And Jesus said unto him, "This day is salvation come to this house, for so much as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:1-10)

You see, the Lord's mission in this current dispensation of grace was/is to seek and to save that which was/is lost. You and I. And most certainly, Zacchaeus knew his heart was left wanting, even though he possessed all the currency recognized in the world. But that currency was to sufficient to satisfy his heart, which explains why Zacchaeus was so willing to climb a tree to meet Jesus -- who we now know, after the resurrection as the King of kings and Lord of lords. 

And that encounter forever changed Zacchaeus. In fact, he was willing to give half of his goods to the poor. But there is more. Zacchaeus told Jesus that should there have been anything that he had taken from any man by false accusation, he was willing to restore to that man four-fold. Four times what he had originally taken from these people! Now that is a transformation of the heart. His love for Jesus meaning so much more than anything this world could offer. And, as we often write about here, Zaccheaus was quite willing to become a flow through, trusting the Lord Jesus for everything, as so should we. But he also stood in the offering plate, willing to forsake the things of this world in favour of receiving the good news gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Meditate on these things, and ask our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ what He desires for you to do this day. He gave us a purpose to fulfill and we need to understand in our heart that our Lord Jesus never fails,  nor will He forsake us. Even in the time of storm, He is continually covering us with His abundance of grace. Clothing us in His garment of righteousness. His arms outstretched in love, seeking us to receive Him in our hearts, knowing that there is no other worthy of all our honour and praise. And when we understand the first commandment, we will desire, like Zacchaeus to be that flow through for the Lord to those around us.

A similar message from Proverbs that reiterates listening to the Lord for our instruction and counsel, so that we can be a flow through for Him in everything we do in both word or deed, and yes, always in the precious holy Name of our Lord JESUS, for He alone can save us from our sins. (Matthew 1:21-23) He alone is our shield, and no good thing does He ever withhold from those who trust in our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ.

And secondly, from Proverbs 22:16-29: 

"He that oppresses the poor to increase his riches, and he that gives to the rich, shall surely come to want. Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto My knowledge. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou might answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee? 

Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: for the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them. Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee? Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. See thou a man diligent in His business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men." (Proverbs 22:16-29)

Trust your heart to the ONLY ONE who can set you free from the entanglements and bondage of this world. His Name is JESUS and He is calling your name today!

Stand in the offering plate.