"I Don't Do Poor"

I was at a friend's social engagement recently and found myself sitting next to two women who were discussing the best places to go on vacation. One woman mentioned that the Dominican Republic was a fantastic place to go and relax for a week. After a long pause, the other woman said, “I have heard good things about the Dominican Republic but I don't do poor.” She continued to say that she would rather not vacation around poor people because she prefers pristine resorts that feature all the latest comforts and accommodations. I must admit that her comments have been ringing through my mind for the last few weeks as I contemplated all that was behind her statement, “I don't do poor.”

My first thought was that most Americans probably feel as she does - “If I am going to spend thousands of dollars on a vacation, I don't want to be around poor people the whole week.” Perhaps the constant reminder that Americans live better than most of the world would dampen the good time or the fact that the money spent on a typical American vacation could feed a family in a third world country for years.

In the Book of Daniel chapter four, verse 27 we read the following, “Therefore, O King let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor.” These words were uttered by Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon as a warning for him to repent or else God would take his kingdom. God exhorts Nebuchadnezzar to turn from his sins, practice righteousness and show mercy to the poor. One of the first warning signs that we have become corrupted by our culture is that we lose touch with the poor. We become detached and uncaring because of our own wealth.

Philip Yancey in his book “Soul Survivor” poignantly distinguishes the rich from the poor by stating that if a person has the resources to buy a book and the education to read it, he or she is part of a small privileged population. This fact stunned me. This seemingly simple act that Americans do every day – buy or borrow a book and read it separates us from the majority of the world who do not even have access to books much less the money to buy one or the education to read it.

So this begs the question of why did God tell Nebuchadnezzar to show mercy to the poor? I believe the answer is much deeper than just seeking to meet the needs of others. Isaiah 58:10-11 holds the answer, “If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones, you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

Part of ministering to the poor is for our own healing to keep us from self-consumption. It takes the focus off of self and puts it on others which echoes the kingdom principles outlined by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount found in the Gospel of Matthew chapters 5-7. It also creates within us a thankful heart as we come to acutely understand all of God's blessings upon our lives. In addition, it teaches us sacrificial giving which I have found in my own life to be the greatest key to sustained joy as God's presence is manifested in a life that pours itself into another.

As you go through your day, I hope and pray that you will consider the poor both overseas and in your own neighborhood. There are many Americans who are struggling these days due to the harsh economic conditions. Take the time to find out the needs of others and ask God to make you the vessel by which they are met. In the process you will grow closer to God and He will draw closer to you.
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"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his deed." - Proverbs 19:17

The Favor of God

This word – FAVOR – can change your life. In the Old Testament it means grace, charm, acceptance, goodwill or desire. In the New Testament, “favor” is from the Greek word “Charis” or “Grace.” It is the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life; the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace. Lance Wallnau may have defined God’s favor the best when he said, “Favor is the special affection of God toward you that releases an influence on you, so that others are inclined to like you, or to cooperate with you.”

Favor is different from grace, although it comes from the same root word. Grace is undeserved, unmerited. But the Bible is full of instruction about how we can obtain favor. Often I think we believe that God’s favor is reserved for the giants of the faith, i.e. Moses, Joseph, Ruth, Nehemiah, Mary, Paul or John. These luminaries we know God granted favor to but we also realize that we are not in their spiritual class. We need to remember, however, that God's favor is not reserved just for the gifted of the flock. It is available to all of us no matter our stature. But how do we get it?

There are many Scriptures which teach that favor is obtained by the righteous, “For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield” (Psalm 5:12). “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth” (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). “When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7).

There really is no magic formula when it comes to God’s favor. He bestows it on anyone who favors Him and His commandments. In Matthew 6:33 we are told to put the kingdom of first and “all these things will be added unto you.” These “things” are referring to our physical needs – food, water, clothing and shelter. So we see that God will continually bless our lives even down to our basic needs IF we put His kingdom first in our lives. And I think this is where most of us struggle. The cares and trials of this world seemingly make it impossible to put the things of God first, yet this is how we obtain His favor. Of course, this makes perfect sense as God wants a relationship with us not just a token hour of worship each Sunday. He wants what is important to Him to be important to us.

I have found in my own life that as I have walked in obedience, God will meet my needs and the needs of my family in ways I would never have expected. Just this past week, I had a friend who I have only known for a few months give me bags of clothes and toys for my daughters because her daughter had outgrown them. I can’t even begin to express the gratitude I have toward this woman as we are not in a financial position to be able to afford to buy such things right now. This is just a simple example but I found a wonderful list of what God’s favor can do in your life. I have included it below. I hope it is a blessing as you realize all that God wants to bestow upon your life as you commit to following Him.

What God’s Favor Can Do in Your Life

1. Produce supernatural promotion and increase (Gen 39:21)

2. Bring restoration of everything the enemy has stolen (Exodus 3:21)

3. Bring honor in the midst of adversaries (Exodus 11:3)

4.  Produce increased assets (Deuteronomy 33:23)

5. Give great and unusual victories even against impossible odds (Joshua 6:20; 10: 9, 20)

6. Give recognition and promotion even when you seem to the least likely one to receive it
(1 Samuel 16:22)

7. Produce prominence and preferential treatment, favor and kindness (Esther 5:8)

8. Get petitions granted, even by ungodly civil authority (Esther 5:8)

9. Change rules, regulations, even laws if necessary to your advantage (Esther 8:5)

10. Win battles you did not even have to fight because God will fight them for you (Psalm 44:3)
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“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” - Jeremiah 29:11