“He who giveth to the poor, lendeth to the Lord, and the Lord will surely repay him generously.”
Proverbs 22:9
“A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.”
The Word has much to say about meeting the needs of the poor and indigent. Above are just two of the many verses. Solomon was known for his wisdom. He saw the blessings in being generous with the poor. He made special notice that when one gives, blessings are returned to the one who gives. Verse after verse, God makes special provisions for the poor. Acts of generosity toward the poor are rewarded regularly.
In His parable about heaven, Jesus said:
Matthew 25:34-40
“Come, you who are blessed by my father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me... I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
Jesus tells us when you give to the poor, you are giving directly to Him. And the Apostle Paul expressed one of the strongest promises in God’s word when he wrote:
II Corinthians 9:8-9
“God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in ever good work. For it is written, he who scatters abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever.”
Giving to the poor should be a part of every individual’s lifestyle of giving. There are many kinds of poor:
In reality, all giving, whether to meet humanitarian needs or to take the Gospel into all the world, is giving to the poor.
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