DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Bountiful Eye
by Mary Alice McGinnis
As with much of the book of Proverbs, the verses in today’s reading are a collection of individual statements used to teach. We will take a deeper look at two of these today.
Let’s focus first on Proverbs 22:9. The English Standard Version translates this verse as, “Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.”
I found it curious why several translations used this wording "bountiful eye," while other translations say "generous." Upon further study, I discovered the English word often translated as generous, in the original language (Hebrew) uses two words. The first word meaning “good, pleasant, prosperous, or bountiful.” And the second word meaning “eye.” Literally the physical eye or figuratively the eye of our mind or our spiritual sight.
What does being generous have to do with our eyes?
If we look back on Provers 22:4, it says, “Humility is the fear of the Lord; it’s wages are riches and honor and life.” These two qualities - humility and fear of the Lord - are connected. They are the lenses through which a good, prosperous, or bountiful eye sees and views everything.
The person of humility SEES themselves rightly. They know their limitations, how little they really know, understand or control. Even the very bread that is on their table was not put there by their own hand. Without sunshine, rain, and the harvest, there would be no bread.
The person who fears the Lord, SEES God for Who He is!
He is the creator of all things, Almighty, All-Knowing, the One and Only Holy, Sovereign King. They realize that without God in their lives, they are lost and wayward. They see themselves rightly as one who deserves death. Yet through the lens of God’s love, they see a God who willingly sacrificed His only Son, Jesus, to redeem them through His death on the cross.
When we focus our eyes on humility and the greatness of God, it results in pouring out gratitude, and blessings on others. When we realize that as beloved Children of God, we have the storehouse of God’s divine provision at our disposal, we can willingly and joyfully share even the last morsels of our bread with those around us who are in need. We can never out give God.
PRAYER
Lord, I admit that I often turn my eyes to envy and greed, focusing only on myself and MY desires. Forgive me Lord. I humbly come before You now. Heal my spiritual eyesight, to see myself rightly, as You do. Heal my eyes to also see You rightly, as My King who stopped at nothing to save me. You have poured Your love out on me despite myself. Fill me to overflowing so that my bountiful eye will joyfully share with those around me.
AUTHOR BIO
Mary Alice McGinnis
I began reading the Bible for the first time at the age of 14. When I read the book of Proverbs, I found this collection of practical wisdom both challenging and inspiring. Instead of the typical posters you might find on a teenager’s bedroom walls, my room was splashed with handmade posters - quotes from the book of Proverbs. The Proverbs unique way of expressing deep truths helped lay a foundation in my walk with God.
Beautiful insights! Thanks