Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
Psalm 41:1
This verse taken from the 41st psalm sheds light on the heart we must have as Christians… This is not to say that we must allow ourselves to be used and manipulated, but to say that we must not set our priorities on material things… In reading this passage I instantly think about the rich young ruler who encounters Jesus in the gospel of Mark… He declared that he had conducted his life according to the book of the law; however, when Jesus declared for him to give away his prized possessions there was a sadness that came upon him… Mark 10:22 says, “22 But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.” Understand today that this rich young ruler was on the cusp of salvation; however, the way he cherished material things led him to leave the company of Jesus… In reading this, a question now arises; how hard is it for you to give (even if it’s your last)…? This is something that I think all of us may answer one way; however, when faced with the situation our actions may speak differently… As a child of God, we are called to walk by faith and it’s imperative that we understand that this faith is displayed through our actions and not mere words…
Faith is total trust, confidence and reliance in a person, spirit, or object… When we place our confidence in Jesus Christ, we can give to the needy even if it is our last knowing and believing that the psalmist is right in today’s focus verse declaring that we will be “blessed…” Paul (a New Testament servant of the Lord) dealt with great trials and tribulations as he worked within the will of God… During his greatest need, the church of Philippi (founded by Paul) was supportive of him by sending gifts and offerings to him… After receiving these gifts, Paul says in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
Understand that when you give out of love you are giving out of the depths of your heart and this means that you are relying on God to sustain and take care of you… We are called to seek the kingdom of God first along with His righteousness and we are promised that when we do this everything else will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33)… In seeking God first, we don’t place our focus or priority on worldly things… This is a great testament to our faith because if we are solely dependent on God then we can extend a helping hand in the time of need without hesitation… God promises to bless you and keep you, but you must open up your hand and let go of the things you are currently holding on to (walk by faith)…. I was once told an empty hand is a poor hand… The psalmist teaches us a different way to view that hand today… An empty hand isn’t poor; it's just waiting for God’s blessing to arrive… One of my favorite quotes is from Erma Bombeck who said, "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, I used everything you gave me".
ALL FOR HIS GLORY!
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