He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord;
and that which he hath given will he pay him again. Proverbs 19:17
Here’s what happens if you stop your ears to the cry of the poor:
Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor,
he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. Proverbs 21:13
It should be obvious to see how the Lord views the poor.
We are to have compassion on them.
We are not to judge any one for their circumstances
but, instead, we are encouraged by Christ to love them
in spite of their circumstances.
The only one who truly knows their history and their heart is God Himself.
Our human judgment does not work.
If Jesus gives us insight or wisdom into someone’s situation or understanding, that may help us and them as well.
I have a good amount of experience with the poor.
I grew up poor.
I have had times of being poor in my adult life,
and I have been reprimanded by the Lord numerous times
due to my attitude towards the poor.
It’s all pride
Ugly pride
Pride if you’re worried about what people think of you if you are poor.
Pride if you think you’re better than the poor
and pride if you have their lives all figured out for them
and know what they should be doing instead.
Pride at its finest.
We could all be poor.
We could have been born in far worse circumstances.
It is so hard for us to not be materialistic living in a material world.
Everything we have belongs to the Lord.
The talents we have were given to us by God,
the roof over our head, the shoes on our feet.
The skills we have, the abilities, the intelligence.
Our family, whether a blessing or a curse.
Everything.
We give our lives to Jesus, or we don’t.
We might accept salvation
but then refuse to walk in His love toward others.
Detestable pride.
‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it
to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Matthew 25:40
Lend to the Lord when the opportunity arises.
It’s an act of faith and He will pay you back.