I was recently blessed to receive daily devotions from my friend, David Peddy. After reading his heartfelt devotions, I simply knew it had to shared with as many who would read them. My sincere prayer is that his words and story sit on your heart as it did mine.

A Heart Check on Giving

The Bible says that when you give the right hand should not know what the left hand is doing.

Matthew 6:3-4: “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Giving with humility and sincerity is what this verse is talking about.  I learned a valuable lesson at Stine hardware store one day last year.  I was sitting in my truck and noticed an employee of the store walking in the parking lot.  It appeared she was having either a bad day at work or something outside of work was bothering her.  She was not moving around with much purpose. I felt convicted to go slip her a $20 and tell her have a blessed day.  So I walked to her and handed her the bill.  She looked at me, took the money and then continued what she was doing.  She didn’t smile, hardly acknowledged me and I don’t recall her saying anything other than “ok.”  I walked back to my truck in shock!  I sat there for a minute thinking about the audacity of her not to acknowledge the gift.  How dare her.  And then it hit me…was I giving in anticipation of her reaction?  Was I expecting an accolade?  Why did I need a response? Am I giving for God or for myself? Sure you’d expect someone to be polite, say thanks, maybe smile.  I honestly just wanted her to see a blessing and acknowledge it for what it was.  But nope, that’s not what it’s about.  In reflection, she probably really was having a bad day.  She may not have had a smile left in her.  She could’ve been in the middle of something way worse than I was aware of.  And that $20 maybe made her feel better later.  It’s not my place to expect a return when God asks me to bless someone.  

Fast forward to about a month ago.  I was at the public boat launch on my home lake.  A little old man pulled up in a beat up car.  He walked over and began sorting through the launch’s trash can for aluminum cans.  I walked past him and got in my truck and before I could drive off I felt convicted to help him out.  I folded up a $100 bill and walked up to him.  I tapped his shoulder and handed him the bill.  He never spoke a word. He took the bill, put it in his pants pocket, turned and continued digging for cans.  This time my reaction was different.  I was free from having any expectations.  He didn’t say a word in return to me and I didn’t care. I recognized that God is powerful enough to do whatever He wishes for that elderly man. I did my part.

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NIV

Thank you, David, for sharing your love for the Lord.

Reba Phelps jreba.phelps@gmail.com