‘Blessed is he who considers the poor;’ Psalm 41:1 NKJV
In October 2022, Forbes stated there were 2,668 billionaires in the world. It’s incredible to think that one individual, let alone 2,668 individuals, can be worth billions of dollars, and yet there are billions of poor people in the world. Does that seem right? These individuals might easily say, ‘I worked for my money.’ But the question is, what responsibility does God place on the haves with regard to the have-nots? Surely donations made by even one of these individuals would eliminate the threat of starvation experienced by millions. So, why are there still people who are hungry and dying of starvation? ‘Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him; the LORD protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.’ (Psalm 41:1-3 ESV). When you bless the poor, God blesses you. So, as one leader wrote, make this your prayer: ‘Lord, you promised we would always have the poor among us. Help me to make sure that the reverse is also true: that I’m always among the poor, helping, encouraging, and lending a hand wherever I can. Enable me to love the invisible God by serving the very visible poor in my corner of the world. Help me to be creative without being condescending, encouraging without being egotistic, and fearless without being foolish. May the poor bless You because of me … amen.’
SoulFood: 1 Cor 4-6 Matt 1:18-25 Ps 43 Pro 10:10
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024
