Helping Is A Two Way Straight

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 which encounter 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 ruller 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 too 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, than we can extend a helping hand in the time of need without hesitation… Often times we make mention to the faith we have or we hear someone utter a message to us concerning their faith… Today we are reminded that words are exactly what they are, “words…” The psalmist says that those who consider the poor are blessed, to consider is to think about or feel for… How often do we overlook the poor of this world? How often do we bypass areas of need within our society or household? God will take care of you, but you must believe that (have faith) and demonstrate it by looking out for others… A lot of time we attribute “being poor” to lacking monetary stability; however, someone who is poor simply is lacking period… A rich man may not be poor monetarily, but they can be poor in spirit, relationships, emotions and mentality… There are many people that we come across daily who aren’t carrying a sign begging for a handout, but that are poor when it comes to knowing Christ… The bible says that Faith cometh by hearing; we are called to demonstrate the faith that we have by allowing the light that God has placed within us to shine… The psalmist declares that the Lord will preserve you and keep you alive… Sure you will have people mock you, you will have people that will try to belittle your desire to follow Christ, but you must understand that it is only by walking in the love of God that you can and will experience His power and might… James teaches us in His book that “Faith without works is dead…” Prior to those words, He tells us to show me your faith without works and I will show you my faith by what I do… In this book he also ask the question, “what good is it if we see a many hungry and tell him go and be well fed instead of trying to satisfy his hunger with our food…” Faith is not something talked about, it’s shown and displayed for all to see… As the psalmist reveals to us today, we are promised to be delivered from the hand of the enemy; we are promised to be preserved, we are promised to be set free from trouble… God has made many promises that He will keep, but the question posed today is, do you really believe the promises that He has made… If you do, you will walk humbly according the word and will of God, you will trust Him in times of despair and you will sacrifice of yourself to lend a helping hand to others… The proof is in the pudding… In order to receive you must give and this rule of thumb applies to our walk with God… Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” He is waiting for you to answer today… 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 too (walk by faith)…. I was once told a (n) empty hand is a poor hand… The psalmist teaches us a different way to view that hand today… A (n) empty hand isn’t poor; its 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".

BE BLESSED!!!