Bible Reading: Psalm 72
“He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor” – Psalm 72:4(KJV)
Our God has great concern for the poor and needy in the land. God takes special interest in the life of the poor. He fights for them and protects them from the brutality of the oppressors. The poor and needy will always remain in the land, how we relate with them determines whether we are blessed or cursed by God. The suffering and the cry of the poor and needy attracts quick divine attention. “For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper” – Psalm 72:12(KJV). God is on the side of the poor and the needy. His hand is ever stretched to deliver them: “He shall spare the poor and the needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight” – Psalm 72:13-14(KJV).
Activities on earth are skewed against the poor. We have instances where the poor work their hearts out and their wages are withheld by the rich in the pretense that business environment is dull, while at the same time the Managing Director and most of the executives travel abroad on holiday with their expenses fully paid by the company. The poor is neglected in our land. The rich get all at the expense of the poor. The few rich and the privileged in the society controlled substantial part of the resources of the society and drop stipends for the poor. They use the poor to generate their wealth and leave them unattended to. These are the numerous injustices that God sees and intervenes to save the poor from complete extinction. The society that does not care for its less privileged is against God and He will resist them. Our today’s scriptural verse says “He shall judge the poor of the people.” This He does by intervening to change the equation. God will arise to turn the table and give the water of affliction to the rich for him to taste lack and poverty. He brings down the rich and greedy wicked souls and exalt the poor in His bid to balance the injustice in the land. “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; That he may set him with the princes, even the princes of his people” -Psalm 113:7-8(KJV). God does these things that men will know that He is God. “The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up” – 1 Samuel 2:7(KJV).
God breaks in pieces the oppressors of the poor and needy. In our relationship on earth we must guard against anything that seems to stand on the way of the poor. We must be the helpers of the poor and provider for the needy. The blessings of God is unleashed on us when we use our wealth to bless the poor and help the needy. We must practice benevolence and always be ready to assist the needy. Job became the wealthiest man in the east through the practice of benevolence and being a voice and a hope to the poor – Job 29: 12-13(KJV).
However, it is important to note that one of the major reason Christ came is to forever banish poverty from God’s children. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” – 2 Cor 8:9 (KJV). At the cross Christ became our substitute for poverty so that God can remove the yoke and garment of poverty from us. Accept Christ into your life and experience the transforming power of God in your life today.
Prayer: Father, give me the grace to live a life of benevolence and to always be a source of hope for the poor and needy.
Bro. Joel Ezeugo