Tag: caring for the needy

God’s Amazing Character

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 9 & 10

Poetry: Psalm 72

New Testament: Galatians 5:22

We previously read the Seek.Grow.Love year’s readings with the objective of focusing on what we could discover and celebrate about God’s character. Today’s reading in Psalm 72 paints a beautiful picture of the kingdom and highlights wonderful attributes of God’s amazing character. We read in verses 4 and 12-14 about His heart for the afflicted, the crushed and the needy.

Give the king Your judgments, O God,

And Your righteousness to the king’s son.

4 

May he vindicate the afflicted of the people,

Save the children of the needy

And crush the oppressor.

12 

For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help,

The afflicted also, and him who has no helper.

13 

He will have compassion on the poor and needy,

And the lives of the needy he will save.

14 

He will rescue their life from oppression and violence,

And their blood will be precious in his sight;

I am always blown away that we are blessed enough to have a Heavenly Father with such compassion and unconditional love for us. Let that sink in for a minute. This passage actually made me think of a few other passages. One was from the story of Ruth and Naomi and we read how they were able to glean the fields per the provision of God’s law. Those harvesting the land were not to clear the grounds of the crops that had fallen or clear all the way to the edges so that the needy could glean the field. 

We can read about this law in Leviticus 19:9 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.

Here are a couple of other passages that came to mind:

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Isaiah 1:17: learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.

If reading these passages doesn’t give you pause, it really should. Take a moment to really think about God’s heart and what that means for you. Take time to deeply celebrate and appreciate who He is! May we seek to imitate His character by looking after the needy, the fatherless and the widow.

-Kristy Cisneros

ReFLection Questions

  1. Where have you seen evidence of God’s amazing character?
  2. How would you describe God’s heart?
  3. How can you pass on God’s compassion and helping hand to others?
  4. Can the fruits of the Spirit of love, kindness and goodness be seen in you?
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From a Wise Mom

Proverbs 31

Proverbs 31 1 2 NIV

This proverb is the words of wisdom from a mother to her son, who just happens to be a king. She cautions him against giving into his desires. Her words advise against dulling the senses with excessive alcohol until no longer remembering what he is working towards and ending up mistreating those around him. Wise words for us all. Moderation or in most case, abstaining all together, are key to carrying out the will of God. I must admit though that verses 6 and 7 perplexed me. She is teaching her son one thing but advising something else for others? That made me dig deeper (Strong’s Concordance here I come!). While most versions say “Give” the Hebrew could just as easily translate as “Leave”. This would mean that she is acknowledging that others drink but he ought to avoid it. So that actually makes a lot more sense and hey guess what? I did not have to stretch or twist God’s word to figure that out. Score one for hard work and discernment.

In addition to staying away from mind numbing substances, she urges him to champion the cause of those less fortunate. To speak for those who have no voice and defend those in need. This is very near and dear to the heart of Christianity. Jesus himself uplifted the most destitute of peoples and worked to save those who others thought unworthy. Going out into the world and making disciples of all nations is, at its heart, administering to the lost and broken. It is what we are called as Christians to do for the glory of God and in the name of Jesus.

I saved the third verse for the end because it ties into the final two thirds of the proverb. She says “women”, plural. That he would be faithful to one woman and save himself the trouble and ruin that would come from chasing many women around. She then gives a thorough description of the qualities of a wife worth pursuing. Many look at this portion of Scripture and see an antiquated view of women, being in their proper place. Yet anyone with that mindset is clearly not reading or understanding what was written. This describes a woman who works hard alongside her husband. She is not the dutiful housewife but an equal. She is shrewd enough to make major decisions such as purchasing land and dealing in various business affairs. She is wise and praised as a teacher. She is a woman of God who is strong in faith and character. She is what I pray for all young women to grow into and what all godly men should be seeking.

Mothers are so wise! God bless them for putting up with us.

 

To be continued…

Jeff Ransom