24/09/2011 - CONSIDER THE POOR

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Blessed is he who considers the poor; the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive, and he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.

Psalm 41:1-2

There are people who in spite of being rich, famous and successful are spiritually poor. We know that those who live in poverty need material aid, but those who have no spiritual understanding despite living in plenty should also be assisted. Actually, they must be welcomed by us.

In this passage, the Bible states that those who offer help to the poor will succeed, but few are the Christians who act this way. In fact, they usually see someone in sin and without asking the Lord what they should say to them they end up committing the same sins as the lost ones. The devil leads many people to drugs, theft and prostitution, and in addition he also encourages the children of God to judge and condemn the sinners. The Word of God, however, declares that we should pray for them. Therefore, let us dedicate our time – including fasting, if necessary – to deliver them.

He who receives the needy will undoubtedly be favored by the Lord. Actually, God will never fail to reward whoever offers only a cup of cold water to the little ones (Matthew 10:42), just a little from the Word that freezes sin and refreshes the soul of those who are going through an infernal action.

The exclusivist and selfish Christian will not attain divine deliverance, but the servant of God who welcomes the lost in his heart, even if he has to go through situations of distress, will receive the salvation of the Lord in those difficult times. The Most High promises to keep alive those who obey Him dedicating their time to support those who stray and helping them return to the Way of Life. Some of them miss the joy of salvation; others do not understand why, at the beginning of their spiritual life,

everything was beautiful, functional and productive, but now they no longer feel the divine presence.

Not only for the future world, but also for this material life, the blessing is reserved for those who keep the commandment of visiting prisoners and setting them free, visiting the sick and healing them, feeding the hungry and delivering the oppressed. So my brethren, even though the needy have done something that could deliver them straight to the hands of the enemy, it will not happen, because your righteousness will work on their behalf and they will be spared!

In Christ with love,

R. R. Soares