P.S. please forgive all the funky fonts -- blogger and word apparently do not get along. i try to fix it as I catch it but sometimes it jumps right back to the weird stuff.
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Proverbs 31:20
She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy.
Character Traits:
Helping…the poor and… needy
Definition:
--to provide with what is useful in achieving an end to those lacking riches or possessions; with less than enough
Verses in the Bible about it:
Proverbs 19:17
If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—
and he will repay you!
Deuteronomy 15:7
“But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them.
Proverbs 14:21
It is a sin to belittle one’s neighbor;
blessed are those who help the poor.
Isaiah 58:7
Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
Proverbs 14:31
Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker,
but helping the poor honors him.
1 John 3:17
If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
Matthew 25:34-40
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
Summary:
Charity and care for the poor is not only a means to show honor to God but is also commanded. Legal steps were even taken to ensure that the poor were cared for. These verses suggest that God is very much aware of our activities where the poor are concerned.
Conclusion for this verse:
Charity towards those in need not only honors the Lord but speaks directly to His holy heart. Multiple verses point towards His mercy, compassion, and special favor for those who must endure poverty – particularly those who are among the most vulnerable in our society. So strong is His compassion towards this segment of people that He claims caring for them is, in essence, caring for Him. It seems only to fit, then, that the woman described in the previous passages would have the same heart full of compassion towards the needy that Her Lord does.
Comments:
I have been thinking quite a bit on this very thing so it is appropriate that this should be my lesson for the week. Recently, my daughter shamed me as she gave change to a man that I had just turned away from moments before. He approached her as she was returning to our car and so she had not seen me. Her generosity stood in stark contrast to my hard-heartedness. I’ve asked for forgiveness but it hasn’t left my mind.
I grew up in a town big enough to have a ‘Will Work for Food’ guy on every other corner. I even remember grinning and shaking my head at the tender heart of my boyfriend who grew up in a small town and was bothered by seeing such men. My skepticism was firmly in place by the time I was a teenager. Now… I am ashamed to admit even that.
That very first verse hit me hard when I read it. No. I don’t know for certain if they are poor nor do I know if they are simply ‘working’ me. But should that really, honestly matter? Yes, I know that we are to be good stewards but according that first verse – loaning to the Lord is a sure thing. And that would really be the only reason I would have to give – that my Lord gave so much to me.
I have thought several times about how I could have responded to that man. He was asking for change to help him get to his home in the next town. It isn’t like I haven’t heard that one before. It’s actually the most common one I hear. But how difficult would it have been to give him a buck? Or, even more, to go fill his tank myself?
If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? John said that, not me. But I think I need to take it to heart more.
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