The Poor - The Bible on Money

“The rich and the poor have this in common, The Lord is the maker of them all.”

Proverbs 22:2 (NKJV)

If there was a mountain to stand on… we could shout this verse from its peak.

How many times do we hear (whether on reality television or in coffee shop conversations) others talking about someone else and how they look “lowly”? Lowly because they cycle through the same five T-shirts when they come to work every week… lowly because they live in a small home… lowly because they rely on public transportation… lowly because they’re sleeping on the concrete and bringing down the property value. As if this is something to make fun of or be disgusted by (Isaiah 32:6-7).

But the clothes you wear, the home you live in and the car you do (or don’t) drive do not make you a better or lesser person. With all the money in the world, you are still you. And without a dollar to your name, you are still you.

Let us remind ourselves of this:

I am above no one. Neither am I beneath anyone. I know who I am. And no money can change that. God knows who I am. And I am not fooling Him with my bank account. To Him, I am the same as the person next to me. When I call on His name, does He not answer?

Take the richest person in the world. Then the smartest, the most famous and the most impoverished. When all four call on His name simultaneously, does He make them stand in line?

God cares for all of us. And He loves us the same. Why should we not do that among ourselves? Jesus said we must love one another as we love ourselves. Living His teaching does not mean judging strangers by their appearance, their homelessness, or their lack of belonging. Or judging family and friends by their wardrobe, the size of their home, the car they drive or their career. Jesus’ expectation is that we treat each other the same. Because in His eyes… we are.

Our judgment of others has even scared some of us from being honest. Honest with others and with ourselves.

Ask yourself:

If I am living in my car, when would it be the right time to tell my family, I am not okay? Or is it never the right time because of my pride?
And at what point have I reached poverty down in my soul? Is it while I am homeless? Or is it when I take my surplus to fill up my many barns (Luke 12:13-21), instead of feeding and clothing the least of these? (Matthew 25:40)

__Proverbs 14:31 (NKJV) __says: *He who oppress es the poor reproaches his Maker, But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy. *If you look up the definition of “reproach,” you may find the word “disapproval.” So, when we jump to conclusions about or distance ourselves from someone because of their poverty, we are literally telling the Lord Almighty that we disapprove of His workmanship. It’s scary, but it’s the truth. Poverty has been a trial from the beginning… through the tests of time. As __Proverbs 22:7 __says, *“the rich rule the poor,” *and the poor have been forgotten (Ecclesiastes 9:14-16). Poverty is not an indication of laziness, ignorance, stubbornness or curse. It is a revelation of a need that those who know God can meet with the blessings He’s bestowed upon them. Only He sits high and looks low. Poverty does not push us down on the totem pole; neither does wealth elevate us to a throne. His blessings, especially the financial and material ones, are not intended to be stored or hoarded. He intends for us to use them to bless others.

Reflect: I don’t want to tell God, “Lord, You’ve made a mistake,” by judging those who have less—or nothing at all. I want to show Him my respect for His masterpiece by doing what I can to uplift them. For we are all fearfully and wonderfully made.

Pray: Lord, we need Your guidance. Show us how to get our hands dirty by serving the poor in a way that honors You, and be an encouragement to the poor that You’ve created us to be. Give us pure hearts. Remembering where Jesus lived, the rich must have thought lowly of Him, simply because they saw nothing spectacular come out of Nazareth. But He came and changed the world. He died for our lives, even when we were already dead inside. He worked wonders and performed miracles. And He lived among the poor.

May we see, Lord, that Your angels in disguise are among the poor. May we love them just as much as we love ourselves. May we love them the way You love us and all Your children. We cannot buy our salvation. No amount of money or possessions impresses You, Father. Rich pockets turn to ashes. But a rich soul reserves a mansion in heaven (James 2:5). So, move in our hearts that we seek out the needy, advocate for them, defend and protect them (Proverbs 31:8-9; Isaiah 1:17; Jeremiah 21:12). Move in our hearts, as Job said (), that we look for ways to serve them, give to them and help them . Because when I was lost, You, Lord, came searching, running, chasing after me.

The Poor - The Bible on Money

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