Being a Blessing to the Poor

(Prov 13:22 NIrV) The fields of poor people might produce a lot of food. But those who beat them down destroy it all.

This morning we continue our series In this verse Solomon points out a problem without really giving us the solution. Normally he contrasts wrong with right, but in this case he simply points out the wrong.

But believe me, the Bible is full of teaching that spells out the right in this area. The wrong he highlights that the poor are frequently taken advantage of. In Solomon’s day the poor often farmed a small plot of land. While most of the poor today do not own land or have access to land to be able to farm it, it was common in Solomon’s time for the poor to have relatively small portions of land that they could farm (whether they owned it or not). Solomon tells us that even if the land of the poor produced a great harvest, there was no shortage of people willing to come in and take it from them.

I will be honest with you; this verse was a tough one to understand at first. I had to read it in several translations to finally get the message. The Today’s New International Version reads: “An unplowed field produces food for the poor, but injustice sweeps it away.” The Contemporary English Version reads: “Even when the land of the poor produces good crops, they get cheated out of what they grow.”

What I draw from this is that the poor are often victims of an unjust society. This is not to say that we should take this lightly or that God looks the other way, it is simply a statement of fact that should cause righteous indignation in God’s children. It should bother us when the poor are taken advantage of. It should disturb our spirit that the enemy preys on those who are barely making it.

As believers, we should do what we can to fight injustice and every sort of evil and we should NEVER become the perpetrators of such wrongdoing.

This reminds me of what happened when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the United States. It did not take long for the unrighteous and the unscrupulous to show up and seek to take advantage of those who had already been devastated. They were already down, but the ungodly sought to take them down even further. As children of God, this should NEVER be said of us.

So what does this mean to you ? It means that you should seek to BE a blessing to every person you come in contact with, especially those who are struggling to get by. The Bible has a lot to say about this, let’s take a look at some scriptures. Solomon’s father David, said, “Blessed is he that considers the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble” (Psalm 41:1). Asaph, the psalmist, told us to, “Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people” (Psalm 82:3,4). Jeremiah said,

“This is GOD's Message: Attend to matters of justice. Set things right between people. Rescue victims from their exploiters. Don't take advantage of the homeless, the orphans, the widows.” (Jer 22:3). Zechariah said, “Treat one another justly. Love your neighbors. Be compassionate with each other. Don't take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor. Don't plot and scheme against one another - that's evil” (Zec 7:9,10).

Father, first of all, I thank You for blessing me to BE a blessing. Your hand is upon my life and for that I say, “Thank You!” I recognize how blessed I am and I realize that it is because of Your grace, mercy, loving-kindness, and my effort; but it is surely not just my effort alone. I shutter to think of where I would be without You in my life. So I enter this day with humble gratitude and with an open heart towards others. I will never take advantage of anyone, especially widows, orphans or the poor. I am here to help, not to hurt; to be a blessing, not a burden. There are many hurting people in the world and I refuse to add to the problem. I am here, with You, to be part of the solution! Use me Father to make a positive impact in the life of someone else today. In Jesus’ name. Amen!