WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THE POOR?
1. Do not hold a grudge against the poor.
Deuteronomy 15: 7-11 "If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks. Beware, lest there is a base thought in your heart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,' and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the Lord against you, and it will be a sin in you. You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings. For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land."
The key is verse 9: you became apathetic, indifferent, unconcerned ("grudgingly" in another version).
- It has the idea of bitterness toward those who are less fortunate than us.
2. Realize you are not better than the poor.
Jeremiah 9: 23 Thus says the Lord, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;
-do not boast in your riches
Proverbs 11: 28 He who trust in his riches will fall
-we are not to trust in our riches
3. Partiality is a sin.
James 2: 1-4 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For is a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?
-treat everyone with respect and dignity
4. We are to bring justice and food and clothing to those who cannot defend themselves (widows and orphans).
Deuteronomy 10: 18-19 He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
Proverbs 3: 9 Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce;
Acts 6: 1-7 Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. Verses 2-7 read on your own.
James 1: 27 This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
5. Remember the heart of God is that all mankind know Him. WE show God's heart the most when we help, love, care for and bring justice to those who cannot do these things for themselves.
Deuteronomy 10: 12-22 "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heard and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord's commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?" Verses 14-22 read on your own.
Micah 6: 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
6. Do not boast about your giving.
Matthew 6: 1-4 Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
7. We are commanded to bring our tithes and contributions (offerings) in full to the Lord.
Malachi 3: 7-12 Verse 10: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, --- read the rest on your own.
-- One's use of money is often a barometer of his or her spirituality.
-- Take a look at your checkbook and it will tell you where your heart is.
The Result Of Helping The Poor