God and poverty, suffering

[Glib Gurl]

Hey Everyone

I was listening to a sermon tonight about worrying, or rather not worrying. This was the text:

Luke 12:22-28:


22Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!

(New Intl Version)

I love this verse because it tells us that we are not to worry. And I believe that God does look after us just as he looks over the animals and flowers, etc. I am a witness to this in my own life. At the same time, though, I wonder about people in poverty and in extreme states of suffering (e.g., the very ill). Let's take sin out of the equation for a minute. (That is, let's not assume that people are in these states because of sins like substance abuse and whatnot. Let's also assume that these folks are Christians.) I've heard people say that we each "have a place" in the world and that just as God is with us in our situations (going to work, school, whatever) He is with them even in their desparate situations. And I do think that there's something to this idea. At the same time, I know that we have an obligation to help our brothers and sisters who are suffering and it offends God when we don't get involved in helping each other. I'm just wondering about God's provision for folks who are in these extreme circumstances.

Any thoughts?

Thanks you all . . . .

 

[Glib Gurl]

Nobody has any thoughts?

*looking around*

C'mon, Shimmie . . . I know you've got a Word for me!

 

[shalom]

Great post Glib. Unfortunately I don't think I can accurately answer the question. I think situations and circumstances in our life happen for various reasons.

Do we have a responsibility to the poor? My answer is yes, but to what degree and to who, I don't know. I always like to think that "His eyes is on the Sparrow" so where ever he sends help then that's the area he's working in right now.

Great post, thanks.

 

[Shimmie]

Nobody has any thoughts?

*looking around*

C'mon, Shimmie . . . I know you've got a Word for me!

I missed this thread and I'm so sorry.

Here's the answer and it comes straight from the mouth of Jesus.

"The poor you will have with you always."

Mark 14:7

For ye have THE POOR with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.


From the Old Testament...

Deuteronomy 15:11

For THE POOR shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

However, look how He feels about the poor...

Psalm 113:7

He raiseth up THE POOR out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;

Galatians 2:10

Only they would that we should remember THE POOR; the same which I also was forward to do.

James 2:3-6

And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to THE POOR, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen THE POOR of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

But ye have despised THE POOR. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

We live in a sin-cursed world and because of it, many of the innocent suffer and it is so unfair. To see an infant with AIDS... a wife with cancer, a husband with heart disease, not from self infliction, but as an innocent victim.

But didn't Jesus walk this earth, taking care of that and did He not also give this same power for us to do as well. And He also said, 'greater' works would we do. 'Greater works'. We each received the great commission to go forth and perform 'Greater Works.' Before He ascended into Heaven, Jesus endued us with such great power and more.

Do you know that we actually have the power to command the devil to 'back off', do not come any closer, be done with you, in Jesus' name. Yet, we are not fully using this wonderful gift from God.

The sin is that not enough of us are doing what God has called us to do. We're too busy storing up riches and gain for 'ourselves' and not teaching the poor to become 'un-poor'. And this trickles down to those who have not been given their fair proportion in this life. God is not the reason, that we have the poor still among us. It's us and the world's system which has attacked all those who we now see suffer.

It was never God's intention for anyone to have lack, need, or want in their lives. He prepared everything we'd ever need 5 days before hand and on the 6th day, He created man with everything Adam and Eve needed there at hand.

But then....sin came in. The rest is history.

 

[Glib Gurl]

Thank you Shimmie. I am digesting all of this now.

(((hugs)))