‘Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’Matthew 25:45 NIV
Throughout the Bible, we see God’s heart for the poor and needy. The Bible says: ‘When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the Lord, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them’ (Isaiah 41:17 NLT). And God doesn’t want us to abandon them either. He calls us to provide for those who don’t have enough. It’s important for us to pray for those in need, but it’s also important for us to provide for them practically. James said: ‘Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?’ (James 2:15-16 NIV). By providing for people in a practical way, we can show God’s love to them. The Bible says: ‘If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?’ (1 John 3:17 NIV). It’s not always possible for us to provide for people, but if we can do something practical to help them then we should. Jesus teaches that when we help others, we’re actually helping Him. He said: ‘Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ So if we choose to ignore the needs of others and refuse to provide for them, then we’re refusing to provide for Jesus. Whenever we see someone in need, we should be asking God to show us what we can do to help them. What Now?
Ask God to open your eyes to someone in need around you. 1 Chronicles 16-18, Acts 17:1-15