Talk face-to-face.
| posted 1/30/2009
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There's a difference between giving that makes you feel good and giving that makes others feel good. The first soothes your conscience, and the latter is personal and well researched.
David researched how he could help Saul's relatives. Were they alive? Yes. Then he talked with Saul's grandson, Mephibosheth, and gave him a gift that had personal as well as monetary value: the property that had belonged to Saul. David could have given him the land through his servant, Ziba, but instead he spoke personally to Mephibosheth about his father, Jonathan, and how much Jonathan had meant to him.
Sometimes when you're not sure what to do to help someone, you need a face-to-face, person-to-person conversation with them. Researched giving will help you respect the person's feelings and dignity and connect with someone God loves. And one of the things the world needs most is healing, caring relationships. (See also Nehemiah 5:1-13; Lamentations 2:11-13; Jonah 4:5-11; Zechariah 7:7-13; Matthew 6:1-4; Luke 9:10-17.)
Good Words to Remember:
David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness. 2 Samuel 9:7
Today's Challenge:
In what specific ways can you help your needy world?
Copyright 2001 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian Bible Studies.
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