Poor People: Our Character
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
Matthew7:15-16 (NKJV)*
The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)
How we treat poor people reveals our heart.
King David, a man after God’s Own Heart, made an unexpectedly awful mistake, in seducing the wife of Uriah. His bad acts show us… ANYONE can fail. God compared them to robbing a poor man.
'There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb which he bought and nourished' (2 Samuel 12:1-3). The poor man was Uriah and David stole his wife.
King Nebuchadnezzar's giant statue… evidenced his pride, and DID cause a fall (when he suffered seven years of madness). But before that, Daniel, a man of God, showed him exactly how to avoid it:
'O king... break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity' (Daniel 4:27).
Both kings were harmed for how THEY harmed the poor. Both kings repented, and God restored them!
On the other Hand (the Hand of Jesus)…
The King of kings PRIORITIZED the poor. In fact, they were His target audience.
Therefore…
Let’s examine our own priorities (including potential jobs or close friends): Don’t judge by their looks, but look for their fruit.* Especially their kindness to the poor.
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
Among your fans are the lost and lonely, who are no more or less than POOR PEOPLE.
If you favor them and treat them with love, you’re showing the character of your King!
Poor People: Our Character (Part 20)
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players.’ Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.
* 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law' (Galatians 5:22-23).