Friday, September 24, 2010

Fri.'s Devo - Mercy for the Poor

Read Pro. 14:31
This scripture reminds me of last Sat. I was meeting a friend for lunch at Panera Bread. I got there first and was standing by the door waiting when a lady came in with steel crutches. She must have had polio as a child. I found myself looking her right in the eyes and saying, "hey, how are you?" She smiled and we instantly connected in the spirit. I knew she was a sister in the Lord and she knew I was. She ordered and sat down and my friend showed up and we ordered. The place was pretty busy but I looked and saw the lady mouthing something to me with a distressed face. I realized that she had gotten situated with her soup and her spoon was really dirty. She asked me if I would go get her another spoon and I told her I would be glad to. When I brought it to her she held my hand in hers and thanked me. It turned out she was sitting next to us so I talked to her till my friend sat down. She was the poor. Poor in the Hebrew means "weak, thin, needy, dangling". She was weak and the spirit of God in me met her need. It was a great feeling to reach out to someone who truly needed my help even if it was to just get a spoon and be friendly. We honor God when we do that. To ignore people who are needy is a reproach to God because he made them and loves them just as much as he loves us. We who have been given much are to give much.
Lord, help us to honor you in the way we see your people. Show us who the poor are so we can meet their needs.

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