Do Not Withhold Good (Proverbs 3:27-30)

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in the power of your hand to do so” (v. 27). Wisdom is not merely about what we know; it’s also revealed in what we give. Righteousness is given to us passively, but it is by no means passive. It acts when it sees need. God doesn’t bless us so that we may hoard but that we may honor Him by serving others. When it’s within our reach to do good, help, give, and speak life, we’re called to act. To withhold good when we’re able to give it is not mere delay; it’s injustice in disguise. The hand that clutches tight cannot reflect the open hands of Christ.

“Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,’ when you have it with you” (v. 28). Wisdom doesn’t procrastinate mercy. Delay can be a quiet form of neglect. The neighbor who comes in need is not an interruption but a providential opportunity—indeed, an opportunity for stewardship. Here is someone made in the image of God, sent to your doorstep by His hand. To dismiss the needy today is to harden the heart against tomorrow. But the wise heart listens. It moves quickly in compassion. It knows mercy postponed may be mercy denied.

“Do not devise evil against your neighbor, for he dwells by you for safety’s sake” (v. 29). There’s something sacred about neighborliness. The Lord has placed us near one another not for rivalry or suspicion but for mutual care. To live near someone is, in a sense, to be entrusted with their peace. Wisdom builds up the community; folly fractures it. When trust is betrayed, safety disappears. But when love rules the neighborhood—when we look out for one another and deal honestly—then our lives become a quiet testimony of God’s kingdom on Earth.

“Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm” (v. 30). In a world hungry for conflict, the wise seek peace. Wisdom doesn’t go looking for a fight. It doesn’t stir up drama or assume the worst. It doesn’t lash out because of insecurity or pride. Rather, it discerns between real injustice and personal offense. Christ Himself, though reviled, did not revile in return (1 Peter 2:23). And in Him, we find the strength to restrain our anger, to pursue peace, and to live gently in a world that knows too little gentleness. So, let your hands be open, your words be kind, and your heart be ruled by the wisdom that comes from above.