Caring for the Poor

Verse of the day: Leviticus 19:9-10 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God.”

Caring for those that are poor and needy is a command that is given to us in both the Old Testament, and the New Testament. Here in this chapter, God gave Israel the guidelines for farmers, so that the poor person’s needs would be met, using the abundance supplied by God. The Lord was not asking the farmer to give something that came from him, but that which God gave him; that which came from God, as He is the One who gives the increase. Today, it is no different. God blesses many of us with much, but it is not for us to keep selfishly. God will meet the needs of our families, but He also desires that we give of our abundance, regardless of how little or much that might be, to those who have genuine needs. This does not mean that we have to give it all away, and it does not mean that we are obligated to give to those who are “crying wolf”, and simply expecting a handout because they are lazy, do not want to work, and being deceitful about being poor or needy. We, as born again believers, who serve a God who was not indifferent to our needs, and gave it all by sending His Son, cannot be indifferent toward those whom God values, the poor. God said of King Josiah, in Jeremiah 22:16, “He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Was not this knowing Me? says the LORD.” Proverbs 14:31 tells us, “He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.” Our God takes our lack of concern for the poor seriously. Ezekiel 16:49 tell us about Sodom, “Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.” In the New Testament, we are told, in 1 John 3:16-18, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” Here, we are reminded that God showed His love for us by meeting a desperate need; therefore, we too must love in the same manner, by giving to the needs of others, when God presents us with the opportunity. James tells us that when we do this, we prove our faith. James 2:14-18 reads, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” There may be times when we may not have much, and even be living pay check to pay check, and God will put someone before us who has even less than that. He may call us to be a blessing to that person by giving of the little that we have. When we give to the poor and care for the needy, regardless of how much we have at that moment, we do not do it as a way of earning salvation, or a way of gaining favor with God. When we do this in Christ, we are simply doing that which outwardly demonstrates our trust and faith in Christ. One of the greatest ways we show our gratitude for all that God has given us in Christ, is by giving, without begrudging, to those who are less fortunate than we are, in the Name of Jesus, and for His glory.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).