Daily Devotional – Monday, May 30, 2022
The leech has two daughters—Give and Give!
Proverbs 30:15 (NKJV)
A social media commentator recently presented a scenario worth our time and thought:
In many developing countries, people move abroad in search of employment opportunities. Back home, family members develop a dependency syndrome. The relative in a foreign land keeps sending money home.
Finally, the contract is over and the worker returns home with little savings. Those who used to demand for money now laugh at the returnee. “Why didn’t you save while you were working abroad?” they ask.
How ironical and cruel! The recipients were not interested in the giver but in her money. The incessant calls were all about selfishness and greed. The strategy was to suck as much money as possible from the hard working relative.
The Leech Has Two Daughters
gur compares such callous and ungrateful people to leeches. He says, “The leech has two daughters—Give and Give!” (Proverbs 30:15).
A leech is a worm that mercilessly sucks blood from another animal using two suckers on each end of its body. It sucks blood five times its body weight, after which it falls off the body of the host animal.
Similarly, a human leech demands incessantly for money and other resources without caring about the welfare of the giver. Such a person may stop working and depend on you fully, yet you have your needs to meet.
Be Wise As Serpents
Jesus advised us to “be wise as serpents.” (Matthew 10:16). It is prudent to give in a structured manner to help the needy generate their own income thus curtailing dependency.
Feeding human leeches at your expense is not helping them. It may harm your livelihood and impede their growth in the long term.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, give me the wisdom to know whom and how to help.
