God’s heart for the poor: Isaiah 56-58, Proverbs 14:31, 21:13, 28:27, Matthew 19:16- 30, Luke 6:20-25, 18:18, James 5:1…
In my spirit, I feel the thunderstorm brewing, and at any moment a shower of tears may erupt. Many may say I’m angry and maybe I am…however, I’d rather think I’m passionate and truly struggling to look at the world around me and find myself in the minority although the “world” around me would “claim” they “feel bad” and would “like to do something about the problem”. Well, I’m here to tell you, it’s past the time of waiting and pondering and a time to be a doer. And I’m here, to hopefully be used by God to SHAKE something in your heart that causes you to DO something.
Here’s how I see it, and mind you, I’m sick of seeing it this way! We sit in church and TALK about compassion, unimaginable, all surpassing love. And then an hour later, we are still sitting there talking about it. Compassion is working; unimaginable, selfless love is real. It is right here, among a few…by the minority.
I claimed the unwanted and unloved (and I thank God I did) for He who loves all. So, yes, I find myself among the minority, and yes I feel like I’m truly among the minority with this huge burden placed on my heart. So, here I go…this is the way I see it…
Each person who calls themselves a follower of Christ takes up the responsibility to love and care for the fatherless. It is not some special, specific calling. It is the DUTY of ALL who call themselves Christians. There are ONE HUNDRED FOURTY SEVEN MILLION fatherless, motherless, parentless children who are not shown unconditional love by another human being on a daily basis. How will we then tell them that Jesus loves them? I am certain that God did not mess up and create too many children and not enough people to love them. The body of Christ is responsible for sharing His love with the people that we are also responsible for making destitute.
We are the body of Christ. But do we know what that means? Really understand? Do we long for our brothers and sisters to be comfortable, fed and well? Do we long for it enough that we are uncomfortable under our blankets at night or eating our pancakes in the morning? Do we feel the hurt that God feels as He watches the body of Christ sit back and allow these precious children of His to perish? Maybe sometimes. But sometimes, we are too busy, or we forget, or are hurting for our own children and feel this is enough. We are the body of Christ. We need to hurt. We need to REACT. And I’m talking more than praying for someone ELSE to DO SOMETHING. Take your eyes off of others, and ponder something different…what is God calling YOU to DO?? There needs to be the same urgency, panic, frustration and desperation as if these were your own children. They are God's children. God’s children! That makes them important and worthy of your EFFORTS!
When He said, "the poor will always be among us" I don't think he meant that as an excuse to not worry about it but as a reminder that there is ALWAYS a neighbor, no matter where we are, in a worse condition than we are. I can only believe that God created us to make this world a little better. That he designed us in love to show that love to others. I just don't know what everyone is waiting for. Quit thinking and pondering and ACT!! Can I say it again…DO SOMETHING!! Get off your knees and MOVE! There I finally said it!
You see, "...once my eyes were opened, I couldn’t pretend I didn’t know what to do. God, who weighs on my hearts and keeps my soul, knows that I know, and holds me responsible to act." Proverbs 24:12 (personalized).
ADOPTION IS GOD’S HEART. He sets the lonely in families. Adoption is the reason that I can come before God’s throne and beg Him for mercy, because He predestined me to be adopted as His child through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
Adopting my sweet daughter was not optional. It was not my good deed for the year, and it was not what I did to “help the poor kid out.” I adopt because God commands me to care for the orphans and the widows in their distress. I adopted because to whom much has been given, much will be demanded. I adopted because whoever finds his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for His sake will find it.
As God provides this abundance, I am blessed to be able to provide a lil' for one of the least of these. I just pray I would be a “perfect” steward of His gifts so that they are used in the way that is most pleasing to Him! And I have no fear that God will be pleased with the way I spent His money!
Proverbs 24 says ,"once our eyes have been opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know and hold us responsible to act." While it is a great hurt and great responsibility to know that there are 150 million orphans in the world, at this moment, as I sit in the comfort of my own home, I am so thankful to be a part of the responsibility. I am thankful that my eyes have been opened. I am thankful I am not numb to the thing that I believe is so near and dear to His heart.
Just in case you were getting too comfortable...
Poverty and squalor and disease and desolation are REAL.
They have names. And faces that stare back and hands that have squeezed mine tight.
They are beautiful people in need of REAL love.
Need a picture? I have thousands and that doesn’t even begin to tap into the vast need. The need is just so vast.
For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1:18
For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him. Philippians 1:29
It is that love that keeps me focused on the difference I can make in the life of one child at a time. It is a single drop in the ocean full of needs, but thankfully God didn’t call me to eliminate poverty, to eradicate disease, or to put a stop to people abandoning babies. I am here to love. I am here to educate. I am here to rally God’s children to ACT like His children!
My candle has been lit, by Christ. I am on fire for God, for His children, for orphans. My purpose here is to spread His light…one candle at a time. A single candle can light up my entire home. Jesus can light up this entire nation if those who claimed His name would act.
My prayer each day is this (just as Pastor Blake said from the pulpit a few weeks ago):
shine, Jesus, shine, fill this land with the Father's glory
bless, Spirit, bless, set our hearts on fire
flow, river, flow, flood this nation with grace and mercy
send forth Your word, and let there be Light.
Love is blind. Love sees no boundaries. Love is wonderful. Love will always find a way. The greatest gift our Maker gave us and the greatest gift we can give one another is LOVE. Love is something I want my life to never lack.
Today God reminded me that I have ONE purpose in life, and that is to LOVE. I could ask for no greater assignment to teach Vika, for without love, we really don’t have anything to offer God or others. What a thought! I could teach her every verse in the Bible but without love she’d be unusable by God! WOW!!
I am grateful that the God who knows my heart allowed for my heart’s desire to be fulfilled – that He has allowed me to do and be what He designed me to do and be. I can no longer sit down without having my lap instantly filled. And for me, that is a simple taste of Heaven.
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to comfort all who mourn
and provide for those who grieve
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all nations.
Isaiah 61
I realize, that once again God brought me to this helpless place. He brought me to my knees. He brought me to a place where I knew I could not and would not do it on my own. A place where He would reveal that I would have to relinquish all control to Him, because I CANT do it. But He CAN. So, I am letting God work on your heart. His timing is perfect. His will is perfect. His plan is perfect.
