Poverty
No statistics need to be quoted for us to know that the world is
full of homeless people and great poverty. Something you may not
have considered is that Jesus was a homeless man. Luke 9:58
says, "And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have their holes, and
birds have their nest ; but the Son of man hath not where to lay
his head." The apostles also were homeless. 1 Corinthians 4:11
says, "Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst,
and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling
place". Both of these examples are a different type of poverty
than we are used to seeing. These are people who have chosen a
hard life of suffering to fulfill the will of God. What about
those who are born into modern day poverty?
Proverbs 6:9-11 says, "How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when
wilt thou rise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little
slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy
poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed
man." This, of course, is poverty due to laziness and
carelessness. Sometimes a man spends all of his money on
foolishness thus resulting in bankruptcy. Proverbs 21:17 says,
"He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man:" Sometimes plain
old pride or stubbornness will result in poverty. Proverbs 13:18
says, "Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth
instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honored."
When a man is out of the will of God and pursues the wrong
direction and is headed away from prosperity.
Proverbs 28:19 says, "He that tilleth his land shall have plenty
of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have
poverty enough." We all know that temptations, habits addictions
and vices such as drugs, alcohol, pornography etc, are part of
the devils plan to keep us under his submission. Proverbs 23:21
says", "For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty:
and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags". Does God watch
over the homeless people? Is he concerned with their living
conditions? Proverbs 14:31 says, "He that oppresseth the poor
reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on
the poor. Proverbs 22:16 says, "He that oppresseth the poor to
increase his riches, shall surely come to want". So we see that
God deals with those who mistreat the poor but does God himself
lend a hand? Psalms 9:18 says, "For the needy shall not always
be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish
forever".
The Lord will deliver his people from poverty, Psalms 35:10 says,
"All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which
delivereth the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the
poor and needy from him that spoileth him?" What about the
children born into these unfortunate circumstances? Psalms 72:4
says, "He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the
children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor."
God is the strength of the poor Isaiah 25:4 says, "For thou hast
been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in distress,
a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast
of the terrible ones is a storm against the wall". How did Jesus
feel about the poor? Jesus took time to preach to them,
something that the church leaders of that day would not do
(Matthew 11:5) In Matthew 26:11 Jesus said "For ye have the poor
always with you: but me ye have not always". Jesus testified
here that the world would always be dealt poverty but he left an
incredible example of compassion toward them which we must
follow. There are two references you may want to read about
Jesus and the poor (Luke 14:16-24 and Matthew 22:1-14). James
2:5 says, "Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the
poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which
he hath promised to them that love him?" Paul in his letter to
the church of Galatians says Galatians 2:10 "Only they would
remember the poor; the same which I also was forwarded to do."
Jesus had some hard sayings and that is why many refused to
follow him I will leave you with one of the hardest Matthew 19:21
A rich young ruler comes to Jesus and says he has lived a moral
life what does he lack, what good thing must I do to have eternal
life? "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell
that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
In Christ
Dale Thompson
BRIDE
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