Look After the Poor

Look After The Poor

Are you newly born again? Perhaps you’ve been a Christian for quite some time but you’ve never really considered how important the poor are to God? I hope these Scriptures stimulate you into action – either into rededicating your life to Christ or if you are already born again, into doing something for the poor.

“1 Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.
2 The Lord protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies.
3 The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.” Psalm 41:1-3 [New Living Translation]
 
But, “Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.” Proverbs 21:13 [New Living Translation]
 
The Lord will return what you spend in looking after the poor:
“If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord – and he will repay you.” Proverbs 19:17 [New Living Translation]
 
If you have received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and help the poor, you will inherit eternal life in God’s Kingdom but if you don’t help the poor, you will incur God’s anger and judgment on Judgment Day:
“34 ‘Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.
35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.
36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.”
37 Then these righteous ones will reply, “Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?
39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?”
40 ‘And the King will say, “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”
41 ‘Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, “Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.
42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink.
43 I was a stranger and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.”
44 ‘Then they will reply, “Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?”
45 ‘And he will answer, “I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.”
46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” Matthew 25:34-46 [New Living Translation]