“If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord— and he will repay you!”  Proverbs 19:17 NLT
 
God could choose to meet the needs of people any way that He would like to. He could have birds bring food (1 Kings 17:3), he could bring quail to be food (Numbers 11:31-33), he could have food appear on the ground(Exodus 16:14), but in this day; He has chosen us to be His Hands in providing for the need of the poor. 
 
Gary Chapman is famous for his explanation of love languages.  He describes 5 different ways we demonstrate love.  Physical Touch, Time Spent, Encouraging Words, Acts of Service and Gift Giving. 
 
We can demonstrate our love for each other through any one of those gifts, but we can also demonstrate the love of God for others by doing the same. Gift giving should be  more than a transaction, it can be a demonstration of God’s love for others. 
 
Paul was encouraged to “remember the poor” (Gal 2:10) and perhaps we could use that reminder too. As we wind down the holiday season, I want to encourage you to consider helping the poor as a demonstration of God’s love. 
 
Remember, you can’t out give the Lord, He will bless you for your obedience. 
 
In His Hands, 
 
John