CRY OF THE POOR
Proverbs 21:13 (KJV)
“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.”
I think we all have to be very careful in this area not to become jaded. If you live in a country where work and help are available for everyone who can and should work (if you don’t work, you don’t eat, which is a good scriptural mentality), we can forget there are those who are really poor and need our help. The verse says we are not to stop our ears to the cry of the poor. There could be a time you need help, not just financially, but with anything, and this verse says you will not be heard. It seems to be a heart thing.
A verse that I keep in front of me in this area is Proverbs 19:17, “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay him again.” I think to further get the heart of God on this, you can look at the many, and there are many, Scriptures about ministering to the poor. Proverbs 28:27 says, “He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.”
In other words, pretending that the poor do not exist, and that, as a believer, it has nothing to do with me, is not acceptable to God. Not only is it not acceptable to God, but it could also hurt you in your relationship with Him and your ability to receive from Him.
Who is poor? You could look at those who live below the poverty line, but there are some people who could do more for themselves and choose not to. We can look at those with signs that say, “Work for food,” but then, if you give them food, they might get mad because they just want you to give them money. So, if you are jaded about giving to the poor, you will have to do what I do and be led. Has it come back to that? Yes. The Lord and I have a deal. Anyone who really is poor, who is in a spot and needs help, He shares it with me right there in the moment.
I think, for me, a directive from the Word we should all be paying great attention to has to do with children. James 1:27 (NLT) says, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” How are we to care for widows and orphans? Maybe in the USA it is not a huge problem, but in other nations this is still a gigantic issue. In both of these cases, the church can make a huge impact.
Orphanages are big on my heart, as this is a wonderful, rewarding way to take care of the poor. Any time a child is without, it is hard for me to do nothing. We should all ask the Lord, “What is my part in taking care of the poor?” As a church family, we currently minister to the homeless. Should you be involved? We have, over the years, done many wonderful things: tennis shoes for children, back-to-school supplies, taking up food for food banks, which is a very good list. What else does the Lord want you to do? Ask Him.