Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters

Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters

“Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.”

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Gal. 6:9-10.

Quite often the opportunities are gone just as suddenly as they come. If you are slow to do the good, the opportunity will pass you by. One always thinks and wonders whether it is necessary, what the others might think about it, and what their reaction might be. This is not how to be zealous to do good works, and so the opportunities pass you by, and you are left standing as a poor man. However, your life will become rich if you are always ready to make use of the opportunities that are presented to you. To be zealous you have to purify yourself. Tit. 2:14. All these “considerations” before you get around to doing the good are actually unwillingness.

“Cast your bread upon the waters . . . .” The result of doing that is about as unpredictable as it can be. To find it again or to receive some benefit from it is just about as hopeless as it can be. Who can predict the direction of the wind and the current? The Preacher says that you will find it after many days. If we are to be zealous to do good works, it must be sufficient for us that we do good. How it is received or how people make use of it is their business.

“Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the Lord.” Ps. 118:19. Who can see these gates when they are opened to them? The opportunities for doing good—overcoming the evil—are such gates of righteousness that are opened up to us. “This is the gate of the Lord, through which the righteous shall enter.” V. 20. No one else finds these gates. Think how rich the Samaritan became in contrast to the priest and the Levite, or the name that Joseph received by overcoming in Potiphar’s house, or Mary who emptied the alabaster flask over Jesus! The others could not see these gates that led to eternal glory. They had too many human considerations. How much poorer Martha and Mary would have been if they had not understood to make their home a home for Jesus! And so one could continue to mention the names of those who understood that “this is the gate of the Lord”; and they all praise the Lord for the riches they have received by entering through these gates.

It is rewarding to keep the good in mind, to give up all other considerations, and cast your bread upon the waters in faith instead. It will be evident later in life that it was not wasted and that it was, in fact, wisdom.