The Lord Shows Up When You Do

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 41^st psalm sheds light on the heart we must have as a Christian… 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 when he 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 we must 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. We can do this because we know and believe 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… When you give in this manner, God will surely show up and supply all you could possibly need and more.

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!