Daily Devotional
               Betty Miller shares her daily devotionals which are based on the book of Proverbs in the Bible.   

  The Wisdom of God

Verses for the Day:

Proverbs 14:31(KJV): "He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor."

Thoughts for the Day:

In these verses in the book Proverbs we find God's attitude toward the poor. Throughout scripture, we see God's concern and love for the poor, as He instructs His people to give to them and treat them with equity.  By so doing, we bring honor the Lord. God maintains the cause of the poor by raising up people to help them.

Deuteronomy 15:7: "If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth."

Psalm 140:12: "I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor."

Luke 4:18-19: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

The very nature of our Lord is to seek out the poor and help them. As God's children we are commanded to do likewise. When we give to the poor and help them with material assistance, it opens the door so that we might present the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord is interested in every soul.  As we reach out to others with His love and compassion, we are able to lead them to salvation.  The word salvation in the Greek, takes on a fuller meaning than someone being born again and going to heaven.  The Greek word for salvation encompasses the meaning of deliverance from sin, sickness, harm, danger, lack  and poverty.  Therefore, Jesus came to not only save us from our sin; but to save us from sickness, harm, fear, poverty and every other curse. Poverty comes from the devil, as do the rest of these things. Jesus came to redeem us from our sin, sickness and poverty.

2 Corinthians 8:9: "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

As God's children, we are promised the blessing of abundance. This does not mean just abundance in material things; but is speaking of spiritual blessings as well, which are really more valuable than all material blessings. The Lord wants to bless us so that we can bless others.  If we are poor we are not able to help others.  We must learn how to receive our blessings so that we can pass those blessings on.  The Bible tells us that when we reach out to help any one who is needy, poor, sick or in prison, it is the same as giving to the Lord Himself and the Lord shall reward us for it.  However, the opposite is also true.  When we fail to minister to the poor, hungry and sick, we also fail to minister to the Lord and shall be rejected by Him.

Matthew 25:34-46:
34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,  Thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross to save me from my sin and deliver me from the curse of sickness and poverty. Lord, strengthen me now, to use the blessing of health to serve You and Your people.  Lord, direct me in my giving so that I might help those that are hurting and needy. Guide me in giving to those ministries that are making a difference in the world. Lord, may the gospel of salvation go out to others who have never heard the good news. Help me to be sensitive to the cries of the poor and not turn a deaf ear to any that I am able to help.  Lord, may all of your children rise above selfishness and as a corporate body reach out to the world of needy people.  Strengthen us all for that task. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.