America’s Homeless is testifying against her

 

 

Proverbs 28:27

 

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

 

Psalms 82:3

 

Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.

 

Isaiah 58:7

 

Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

 

Applicable  scriptures:

 

Deuteronomy 10:18, 14:29, 16:11,14, 24:17,21, 26:12,13

Esther 9:22

Job 20:10, 29:16, 30:25, 31:16, 34:28, 36:6,15

Psalms 9:18, 10:14,18, 12:5, 34:6, 35:10, 41:1, 68:10, 69:33, 72:2,4,12,13, 107:41, 109:31, 112:9, 113:7, 132:15, 140:12

Proverbs 14:21,31, 17:5, 19:17, 21:13, 22:9, 28:8, 29:7, 29:14, 30:14, 31:9, 31:20

Isaiah 1:17, 3:14,15, 10:2, 11:4, 25:4, 41:17

Jeremiah 5:28, 20:13, 22:3

Ezekiel 18:17

Daniel 4:27

Amos 5:12, 8:4

Habakkuk 3:14

Zechariah 7:9-10

Malachi 3:5

Matthew 19:21

Luke 14:3, 19:8

Romans 15:26

2 Corinthians 9:9

Galatians 2:10

James 1:27, 2:2-6

 

We as American’s have reaped, but we fail to realize the fields from which we have reaped… we did not earn because we did not sow.

 

Acts 17:26

 

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

   

It is God himself who determined where we would live and when.  The truth is… we could have been born seven-hundred years ago in China, where all of our hard work might have gotten us a few bowls of rice and some fish.  We can’t deceive ourselves to believe our hard work has deserved us all our resources.  We can’t believe our timing or our good fortune has given us a “leg up” on the competition.  It is obvious from the scripture located above, that it was God Himself who appointed the when and the where, and that you and I are simply blessed and fortunate to be a partaker of the when and where.

 

Why?  Why would God appoint you and I to this time and to this place?  The answer is gifts.  Gifts He gave us and gifts we are blessed to receive so we shouldn’t be prideful and boasting of our successes.  Now, in America, in the year 2010, presently, resources are flourishing and there is much to reap.  But with much to reap, there is also much required of us (Luke 12:48, Leviticus 5:17, James 4:17).  Basically the result of three things:

 

1.     We were born in a plentiful time (2010) and in a plentiful place (America), something we had no control over (Acts 17:26).

 

2.    We were born with gifts that were given to us (Exodus 31:1-6).  Kind of like our looks or even our faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Again, something we had no control over.

 

3.    We have worked hard.

 

 

Three things that illustrate exactly why we have the resources we do.  It’s interesting that two of the three were provided for us, only one area was ours to motivate and push ourselves in… so we could make good with what was given us.  I want to emphasize providence has had much to do with our fruitfulness in America.  We have to remember all this fruitfulness will be required of us.  Thus, having substance is both a blessing and a test.  If we choose to fear God and love our fellow man according to the scriptures and our conscience, we will become open-handed towards those around us.  The truth about giving and the mystery surrounding it is this… giving frees us.  Yes, giving frees us from the bondage of self focus and loving our money too much.  People who learn to give (of their time, resources and money) are not only able to encourage and help others greatly… but they are participating in an exercise that will help them to become more naturally selfless and humble.  The truth about money is if you hoard it or love it too much, these passions can lead to constraining consequences on your mind, body and spirit.

 

Ecclesiastes 5:12

 

The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

 

Proverbs 28:27

 

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

 

 

I can tell you many of the infirmities that people struggle with (both mental and physical) can be directly attributed to selfishness as well as a constant focus toward money and self.  An easy way to break this cycle (or curse) is to learn how to give… and to learn the lessons a heart which gives can teach you.  Those who have learned to give not only free themselves from many infirmities, but when they do, the lessons they learn help them find a peace and serenity they never knew.  A real truth is that selflessness can be its own reward. 

 

Nowadays, especially in America, it seems we are more willing to help overseas then we are our own citizens.  This is mostly due to pride… because we judge critically those who are unfruitful in America and also because it’s mans natural tendency to not want to work on problems in their own backyard.  Basically, ignoring the needy in our own land and then helping overseas not only produces a self righteousness spirit, but this denied response lessens our character and moral fiber so we end up justifying ourselves.  Plain in simple, to help overseas without first learning to help the people in our own land becomes counterproductive.  It’s like raising your neighbor’s kids and then letting yours fall through the cracks.  There are humility lessons we as American’s need to learn by getting our hands dirty in our own backyard.  It is a humbling thing to labor in your own backyard but the Lord loves the humble.      

   

Ezekiel 16:49

 

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

 

Just so you know, Sodom was judged by God, and now rests roughly 2,381 feet beneath sea-level… underneath The Dead Sea actually.

 

Jeremiah 22:16

 

He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me? declares the LORD.

 

Deuteronomy 15:11  

 

There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open-handed towards your brothers and towards the poor and needy in your land.