bc of our sin. It was not apart of God's creative intent. When Adam and Eve sinned, God told Adam that his food would come from the sweat of his brow.
"What's God attitude toward the poor?" "Does God really care about the poor?"
A cause is a principle, idea, goal or movement to which a person is dedicated. You get to choose whether to join or not join a cause. God has a cause that he is dedicated to- Caring for the needy is threaded throughout the Bible.
Exodus 22:25-27, "If you lend money to My people—to the poor person among you, you must not be like a moneylender to him; you must not charge him interest. "If you ever take your neighbor's cloak as collateral, return it to him before sunset. For it is his only covering; it is the clothing for his body. What will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will listen because I am compassionate."
Moses is the author and delivering God's laws for the people in theses it says:
1)Do not charge them interest
2)The cloak was collateral
v.27 Answers beginning to show
Leviticus 25:35-37,"If your brother becomes destitute and cannot sustain himself among you, you are to support him as a foreigner or temporary resident, so that he can continue to live among you. Do not profit or take interest from him, but fear your God and let your brother live among you. You are not to lend him your silver with interest or sell [him] your food for profit."
These verses say:
1) Do not take interest
2) Don't sell food at profit
3)Treat him like a guest
(Israelites:culture=hospitality)
It is harder to be like hospitable to someone who is not passing through. God is saying to take care of them so they can stay among you. It's easy to go somewhere and take care of someone else's community but we are called to take care of our community. God is saying let's break the cycle of poverty.
Deuteronomy 15:7-11,"If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land."
These verses says:
1) Wipe away debt on the seventh year.
2) Be open handed and give freely whenever they need it.
3) Give generously with open heart.
4) He commands us to be open handed.
Answer to our question: God cares deeply about the poor. He wants us to care deeply about the poor as well. He wants us to respond with the same compassion that He does. Compassion is to sympathize and bear sufferings. Desire to alleviate it. Awareness should lead to action. Challenge: Begin to live out your action.
"What is God's plan for meeting the needs of God's people?"
Nearly a billion people entering the 21st century could not read signs or sign their names. Millions of women spend over 2-5 hours collecting water. Where do you have to go to get your water? Heart-wrenching, right?
James 1:27 says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
Matthew 5:42-"Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."
1 John 3:17-19-"If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence."
Matthew 25:31-40- "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
We are NOT saved by actions. We ARE saved by grace. WE are God's plan for meeting the needs of the poor. The Church is God's plan. God has blessed us, so we can bless others.
Ask God to plant a seed and break our heart for poverty.
"What is God's plan to end the suffering of those in poverty?"
Revelation 7:9-17
God will one day end all suffering forever. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes. We should double our efforts. People need Christ.
