Monday, July 21, 2014

Showing Who You Are

Proverbs 21:13
 
13Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard.
 
I have heard my assistant pastor say this repeatedly but I had no idea where it was in the Bible. God illuminated it for me. Do you recall during Jesus' ministry how Jesus would specifically stop and call out to the down and outcast? They were considered poor. And when those who "had more" would tell the outcast to be quiet because they were less? And did not Jesus hear? After the Beatitudes in Luke 6 Jesus pronounced some woes. One of those woes corresponds to this scripture. Remember Jesus said we are to love thy neighbor as thyself and treat others the way you want to be treated. So if you ignore the cry of the poor whom you see in need and know they need and know that you have it to give but won't give, remember, God is watching. He gives you the power to get wealth as said in Deuteronomy 8:18 so no matter what you have, God gave it to you. And should you see fit to ignore one in need when you know you have it to give, then you are mocking God. God blessed you so you could be a blessing. And as Job said, "God gives and God takes away." So lest you repent, your day is coming when you too will cry out and be ignored. Even if you have been there before, God will take you back if you failed to grow with the blessing He gave you.
 
I remember being in D.C. one day and came across a man begging. He was pleasant but obviously in need. I had no cash on me at that time but had a card going into the store. He was thirsty and asked for something to drink so I bought him something. When I came back, he was happy and we talked and hugged before I left. He was over in "tent city." I saw him a couple months later and he remembered me. He had just been put up in a place near a school by an organization and had recently given his life to Christ. My heart was warmed because he felt the need to share it with me. He said he knew I knew Christ.  I never said my faith or belief. How you act can easily show who you are. Jesus said you will know a person by their fruit? Are you displaying rotten fruit? Are you like those who ignore the poor unless you can be seen? God is Jehovah Roi, the God who sees. Our Pastor preached yesterday on "Who Are You Working For?" He said there are many who claim to be a child of God and follower of Christ.

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