Why God doesn’t forget the poor!

Poverty is a problem in every country, city and community, but that doesn’t mean God forgets the poor.

Are you struggling with poverty right now?

Perhaps you’re helping the poor and find yourself discouraged?

The Bible has so many things to say about poverty, and hopefully this article shines a light on the topic.

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#1. The Poor will always exist according to the Bible

Deuteronomy 15:11

Mark 14:7

These verses point to the truth that Jesus acknowledged the poor, but there will always be poverty on Earth and that doesn’t mean God forgets. Poverty is a result of sin. It exists on this planet until it comes to an end.

God asks his people to help the poor and to be servants. It’s all over the Bible. Let’s look at a few examples.

Confusion about Helping the poor and Expensive Perfume

God surely wanted the disciples to help the poor, in Mark 14:7, Jesus is simply telling people that soon he is to leave, and the woman came with an “alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard” to prepare Jesus for his burial.

The poor are important and the call to help them is important, but saying that the woman shouldn’t waste the ointment and instead sell it to help the poor, is out of place. They could help the poor later or at any other point because the poor will always be here (on Earth).

The woman was doing a good thing. Helping the poor is a good thing. There is a time for everything.

The point is that in Jesus’ ministry he feed people and helped the poor. In Deuteronomy 15:11, we can see that even in the old testament it was also important to help the poor. There are no contradictions!

God doesn’t forget the poor!

It was actually expected to help the poor by leaving some crops in the fields.

Gleaning

“Gleaning is when the owner of a field allows the poor and foreigners to gather grain that would otherwise fall to the ground or remain on the stalks after the first pass through the field.” – Give us this day.org

Leviticus 19:9-10

So you see, these verses may seem contradictory, but you must know the whole context to see that Jesus is not puttin costly perfume above the poor.

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#2. The Son of Man (Jesus) was poor himself!

There is a lot to say about this point, but the main thing to focus on is that Jesus came into this world poor. He was born in a place that a King should never be born into.

Jesus was born in a manger. The King and owner of Gold was born into a state of poverty. Haggai 2:8

This passage has to be my favorite because Jesus is aware of his reality on Earth. Matthew 8:20

Jesus was on a mission, he came to Earth to preach, serve and to die. Riches and status were not on the agenda.

Poverty doesn’t mean God forgets you, than that would mean God the Father forgot Jesus during his ministry on Earth, and He surely didn’t because the Father was always with Jesus. John 14:10

• Jesus didn’t have luxuries and went from home to home preaching (in his adult life). Whoever took Jesus and his disciples into their home, that’s where they would stay. Matthew 10:11-14

• Sometimes Jesus and his disciples went hungry too. Matthew 25:35-37, Mark 6:31, Matthew 12:1

More Verses to read about poverty

• Proverbs 19:17
• 2 Corinthians 8:9
• Proverbs 14:31
• Proverbs 22:9
• Luke 14:13
• Matthew 19:21
• Proverbs 28:3
• Proverbs 28:6
• 1 John 3:17

#3. Poverty doesn’t mean less Value or Less Human

Poverty is not the main issue in God’s world. Poverty is a bad thing because hunger, pain and struggle are not God’s intended will for humanity. But poverty is not a synonym of damnation either. Proverbs 28:6

The poor are often looked down upon, but the Bible instructs to not show favoratism because all people deserve respect no matter what they have in their bank account. Leviticus 19:15

Poverty does not mean someone is of less value or less human. Being poor doesn’t mean someone necessarly sinned and so they are cursed, although it could because of a bad decision made. Proverbs 28:19

All humans are made in the image of God, and therefore are worthy of value. Human life has a dignity attached to it because God himself made us. We are the crowning glory of his creation no matter the social status. Psalm 8:5-6

God gave people a special place in creation. Hallelujah!

Blessed are the Poor in spirit: A good type of Poverty

There is a type of poverty that is greatly praised in the Bible, but this poverty is about humility.

Matthew 5:3

Being spiritually poor, is the poverty that God desires in us. Being poor in spirit, simply means that we NEED God, and that we don’t dismiss it, but gladly and humbly accept it.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association says it better, “In other words, when we come to God, we must realize our own sin and our spiritual emptiness and poverty. We must not be self-satisfied or proud in our hearts, thinking we don’t really need God. If we are, God cannot bless us.” (James 4:6).

God doesn’t forget the poor, AND He definitely doesn’t forget the poor in spirit because he provided the Lamb of God (Jesus) to pay for our sins and to give us life abundantly, beyond this place of hardship on Earth.

We can’t ignore that poverty exists on Earth, but we should not point fingers to God as if he doesn’t care.

The better thing to do is to ask why it exists in the first place. The next two points will really explain where all this hardship came from.

#4. Job was both rich and poor in his life time

God doesn’t forget the poor. God can’t forget anything because He is all powerful, mighty and all knowing, and therefore nothing can get out of his sight.

Being poor or being rich doesn’t mark you in any shape or form as having God’s favor. You can be poor and be so utterly rich in God (spiritually).

The rich can have everything, but be utterly poor in God. And of course that doesn’t mean that all poor people love God or all all rich people hate God.

Trusting God and having God’s favor starts at the cross of Christ, and money has no place in buying favor or salvation.

The best example is Job. This man had riches and then he had nothing. He had God’s favor in richness and in poverty. Job 1:1-2, Job 1:18-22, John 15:10

Believing in God and following his commandments is where his favor lives, and nothing else can come close to it.

What Christ did was give us a new relationship with God through Himself. Nothing can separate of from God, not even poverty. Romans 8:35-38

#5. Sin brought death to every area of life

Many people that doen’t believe in God, or aren’t happy with God, point to the state of poverty humanity lives in, as the main reason they can’t trust God. I have to say that in my atheist past, I too blamed God.

Most unbelievers look around and see poverty, injustice, anger, evil and disease and think that the only one responsible for these problems is God.

“How can God be good if there is so much pain?”

The answer is simple and clear, but it seems to not be good enough.

God created everything good, but the result of sin brought all these evils into the world. Genesis 3:17-19

Crazy weather around the world is also a result of sin and God’s intention was never for man to suffer with hunger and nakedness. Romans 8:19-21

The good news is that the Lord Jesus Christ came to save us from all these things. If we trust in Him as our Lord and Savior, our relationship with God will be restored and he promises to give us his Spirit and clean us from all unrightiouness. 1 John 1:9

We don’t have to fear death anymore because Jesus died in our place. Death was also the result of sin, and how amazing is it to know that Jesus came to restore everything to it’s former glory.

Your Current suffering can’t compare to what’s to come!

Does poverty hurt?

Absolutely it does!

It’s so difficult to be in debt and have no money to buy essentials.

When a child is sick and you must choose between rent and medicine.

Oh, how utterly painful is poverty! But I want you to think for a moment that this pain is temporary. And I know… thinking about a better tomorrow doesn’t always help us feel better in time of distress.

But please know that one thing can help right now.

Trust Jesus. Run to Him! Trust God, to be your all. Go to his feet and cry in bitter agony and say, ” Lord, save me!”

He knows the pain you feel and only He can give you a peace beyond comprehension.

Meditate on these verses:

Romans 8:18, Phillipians 4:7, Habakkuk 3:17

Now, let’s look at some steps to fight and not give up during this hard situation.

Steps to consider when struggling with poverty

• Don’t give up! Find support in local churches, assistance in your city/ community.
• Work and put everything in God’s hands.
• Don’t let idleness win and learn to manage your finances.
• Find a roomate
• Pray, pray, pray!
• Know you are not alone.
• Ask family for help.

There is no easy solution and sometimes no matter what we do poverty seems to hunt us, but know that your joy can’t live outside of God. Our circumstances can try to keep us down, but be sure that ultimately we get to make choices.

Prayerful, those choices help us and God’s mercy is open us. In the long run we can be sure poverty will teach us great lessons and hope is never lost if God is with us.

Blessings,