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| How important is it to help others? |
What makes someone
poor? Depending on where you are this definition can change. According to many
standards, I currently am living in poverty (at the time of this writing).
According to most of the rest of the world, I am very wealthy.
So what makes
someone poor? I will define it as a lack of what is truly needed. In the movie,
It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey is lacking in money to cover the money his
uncle lost (but he was rich in friends). Though he had lots of money, Scrooge
in A Christmas Carol was poor in charity and love. People around the world are
lacking proper nutrition or clean water. In Revelations 3:17, Jesus tells the
church of Laodicea they are spiritually lacking. They are all poor in different
ways and God cares about them all.
The Psalmist
starts off this psalm of repentance with the declaration the person who helps
the poor is blessed. In this chapter, this is the poor who cannot reward you in
any way. God cares for those who help people who can’t help them in return.
This care for the
poor is loosely tied with God giving mercy to the sinner. A person who isn't
willing to reach out to others may not be in a place to receive help from God.
Even in the Lord's prayer, we ask God to forgive us as we forgive others. I
might be stretching it a bit but perhaps having a heart that sees others' needs
is the first step in seeing our own.
Psa 41:1-13
(1) To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
(2) 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.
(3) The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
(4) I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.
(5) Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?
(6) And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.
(7) All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.
(8) An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
(9) Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
(10) But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.
(11) By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
(12) And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.
(13) Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.
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