"If there is among you a poor man
of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land
which the LORD your God is giving you, you
shall not harden your heart nor shut
your hand from your poor brother, but you
shall open your hand wide to him
and willingly lend him
sufficient for his need, whatever he needs."
Deut. 15:7-8
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Hello again, let's begin with prayer....
"Father, thank You today for considering the poor. For remembering them when we do not. Thank You that You condescended unto us when we were still sinners and saved us. Thank You that You are a benevolent God of love and mercy. Help us to fully obey Your voice and only Your voice.
I seek forgiveness of my sins. I know I often forget the poor among the brethren. I pray that You will renew a clean heart in me. Give me a heart like Yours. I pray for the Holy Spirit to fill me to overflowing.
I lift up each lady reading this study. I pray that You will meet her where she is and speak to her heart. I pray that You will remind her of who she is: a Child of God. I pray that when she reads Your word, she will find peace and comfort there. I pray that You will bless her with every spiritual blessing.
In Jesus' name....amen."
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The Outworking of Love
As we continue to look at what it means to show our love to others, we read in our opening verses how the Lord, in compassion, allowed a law to care for the poor among His people....knowing that they would not help the poor without a law.
1 John 3:17-
"But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?"
God's love is revealed through us, His children.
Please read:
Ex 23:6
Lev 25:35-37
Deut 24: 12-14
The Lord tells us in His word that we will be blessed if we obey this law. "It shall be righeousness to you before the LORD your God."
How incredible is that?
Ps 9:18
God gives special attention to the cries of the oppressed.
Ps 12:5
Ps 72:4
The Bible doesn't tell us that there is merit in being poor, but instead it tells us that there is merit in considering the poor and needy.
Ps 41:1
Ps 74:21
Prov 31:9
Ez 18:12
Poor and needy is often found with the word "oppressed" in scripture. Sometimes it means literal poverty, but sometimes it is figuratively speaking.
Ps 40:17
Ps 86:1
The Lord isn't saying that all believers should strive to be poor and needy. John isn't saying that either. But what the Lord wants us to know is that when we see a brother in need and we refuse to help, then how can we say we have God's love abiding in us?
Last time we looked at what it means to lay down one's life for another. What John wants us to know is that the extreme act of dying for one another may not be the calling the Lord has chosen for us. Instead, perhaps we were called to give of ourselves to help those in need.
Material assistance is one way to help, but there are many other ways to help a brother in need. Just being there to hear someone talk is a great help, especially to those who are shut in and do not have regular visitors. Sitting with them and listening is a great comfort. Remember the Virtuous Woman of Prov 31? No matter how busy she was, she still took time to consider the poor among her town.
The Lord showed us love when we were His enemies....now John reminds us to go and do the same to fellow believers. Ladies, that is how we show the love of Christ. That is how we know we are Children of God.
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Life Application
Please read:
Jer 22:15-17
Here the Lord God is reprimanding His people for not knowing the Lord. He defended the cause of the poor and needy before them and yet all the people could care about was their own houses and their own covetousness.
Sound familiar?
I remember well the last church group we used to meet with on Sundays back at our old church. We were all "yuppies" with young children, but Scott and I never really felt like we fit in because we were struggling financially and all the other couples were having huge houses built and more children all while the wives stayed home with the children.
Scott and I were really beginning to walk with the Lord back then and He gave us a heart for helping others. One day we suggested our church group pull together and collect meals to deliver to the homeless. We volunteered to collect the meals and deliver them if each family brought by a meal, like McDonalds or something.
Not one couple agreed to help out. One couple asked, "Can't we just write you a check?" because Saturdays were their busiest day with the kids in soccer and baseball. The rest of the couples did not respond or if they did, it was negatively. Now, I know helping out the homeless doesn't appeal to some people. That is why we volunteered to take the meals and deliver them ourselves. I worked downtown, so I was used to seeing the homeless all the time. But they are obnoxious to some people.
Needless to say, no meals were delivered that Saturday. And we soon left that church group. They were too deep in their covetousness to see how the Lord wanted to use them for His good.
Scott and I learned from that lesson. He has since taken Nathan to hand out meals at the homeless shelter and I have helped out women who have left prison. And we have seen how the Lord has blessed us through the hard times we have had and the good times.
It may be a sacrifice to help those in need....time, money, attention.....but it is worth it to hear the Lord say:
"Was not this knowing Me?"
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Until next time....
"True love seeks what is best for the other person, which is, ultimately, eternal life. The Lord Jesus forfeited his own life so that unlovable sinners could have eternal life. He deliberately chose to love them. He wanted the best for those who were obnoxious to him."
-Dr. Joel Beeke (The Epistles of John, 2006, p. 137)
Blessings,
Ruth
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