The poor among us

If there is among you a poor man of your brethren . . . you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand. —Deuteronomy 15:7

Francis Chan in his book Crazy Love, tells of a family with an interesting Christmas tradition. On Christmas morning, the Robynson family doesn’t focus on opening presents under the Christmas tree. Instead, they make pancakes and coffee, and serve the breakfast to the homeless. This is a small but creative way to show God’s love and generosity to the poor.

God expected this kind of generosity from His people. In Deuteronomy 15, Moses emphasized the reality of poverty and how the more affluent must deal with it. They were warned of four dangers:

A hard heart, ignoring the needs of the poor (v.7).

A closed hand, withholding what the poor lacked (v.7).

An evil thought, hesitating or refusing to loan money to the poor because the year of canceling debts was nearing (v.9).

A grudging spirit, a reluctance to satisfy the needs of the poor among them (v.10). Not only were they warned about selfishness, but more important, they were encouraged to be spontaneously generous (vv. 8, 10, 11).

Among God’s people, there must always be a spirit of generosity toward the poor. Let’s open our hearts and our hands. — Marvin Williams

Once grace each child of God can show

Is giving from a willing heart;

Yet, if we wait till riches grow,

It well may be we’ll never start. — D. De Haan

READ: Deuteronomy 15:7-11

Generosity stems from the heart that has experienced God’s grace.

The Bible in one year:

• Psalms 7-9

• Acts 18