The scriptures command us to take care of the poor and to be generous in our giving and in so doing we lay up blessings from the Lord and treasures in heaven.
Many people are looking for a wise investment for their treasure, especially for retirement but how many fail to realize the best investment of all, being generous to the poor?
Consider Deuteronomy 15:10 regarding the poor man:
“You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.”
This is why the apostle Paul tells us that the Lord loves a cheerful giver. The person who gives to the poor man seems to be doing the poor man a favor, but he is actually receiving the gift of God’s blessing from the poor man.
A person who refuses to give to the poor forgets that he himself depends on the generosity of God. If we refuse to be generous when we see others in need, why should God help us when we are in need?
Jesus taught His disciples past and present to give often and well to the poor, we see this in His praise of the widow giving her mite and the giving of the good Samaritan even in the face of first century racism.
A wise investor does not hesitate to put his money into a venture that will guarantee a good return. Money spent on charity should be regarded as an investment as this is what the Lord meant by laying up treasures in heaven.
As we observe the world around us we might notice a lot of selfish people who do not give but that should not be so for the people of God, we are not to be lovers of ourselves always putting our needs above the needs of others.
Followers of Jesus Christ should be cheerful givers who genuinely enjoy putting the needs of others first and not just for the blessings and rewards that the Lord has promised in scripture but because we want to show the love of God to those in need.
The command to not despise the poor is meant to define the self-sacrificing love of God that we are to emulate and imitate. If you believe, as I do, that we are living in the last days then it is up to us to take every opportunity to show God’s grace, mercy and love to this world that is perishing.
While people are fighting over what lives matter and whether or not someone should stand for the national anthem, an incredible number of people are dying without the saving knowledge of Jesus because they never saw His love and never experienced His grace.
People are crying racism without caring for their own race, much less other races as we ignore the poor and fail to give them the help they need. This great blessing we receive from God is being taken from us by the government and by the godless but it does not have to be that way.
Find ways today to help the poor that you encounter, don’t judge their situation because that is God’s job and don’t just give to that guy on the street corner, work with your church to find ways to improve your community from building houses to teaching children how to live well using God’s word, give to the poor among us and make a difference for the kingdom of God.
