#DailyDevotion How You Treat The Poor Is How You Treat The Lord

June 19

Prov 22:1–21

Pro 22:2  The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the maker of them all…9  Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor…13  The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!”

Pro 22:16  Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty…17 Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge,  (18)  for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.

 

In today’s chapter there are a number of lessons concerning the poor. It is important that we pay attention to them because the poor are a class of people who are the apple of God’s eye.  These are not about special government programs but what do you do when you see the poor. How do you interact with them? How you treat them is how you treat the Lord.

 

So we note first that the graved is the great equalizer. Rich and poor alike meet the Lord in death. Both are answerable as to how they lived their lives. The Lord has made one man rich and another man poor. What have they done in their peculiar circumstances?

 

The Lord desires the rich to have a bountiful eye. He will be blessed. The bountiful eye sees the potential in everything. He sees how may profit from what he experiences around him. Because he sees what is around him he opens his hands to the poor. He does not oppress the poor but attempts to bring the poor out of poverty. His hand is generous to give to them because he knows what he has, he has from the bounty of the Lord. So the Lord blesses him all the more because the rich man’s gifts to the poor are gifts to the Lord himself.

 

Does the poor man act as a sluggard? Does he use his poverty to be lazy and not work and attempt to be productive? He is answerable to the Lord for his actions or lack of them.

 

Those who use their riches to oppress the poor instead of helping them will eventually come to ruin. Their actions are not just against helpless individuals, but they are oppressing the Lord. They may have their profits for today by taking advantage of those less fortunate, but what will their reward be before the Lord? Eternal perdition is their lot.

 

So listen to the wise saying here and implant them on your heart so as the occasion arises you may act wisely and live pleasantly.

 

Heavenly Father, you have been rich towards us in Christ Jesus in grace and salvation. Grant us to have open hands to those who are poor materially and if we find ourselves poor give us courage to work and earn our daily bread with thanksgiving. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.