Don't just take, give!

“Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard.” — Proverbs 21:13 (NKJV)

There are times when we all feel overwhelmed by the needs around us. The problems of the poor, the lonely, the hungry, the struggling, and the forgotten can seem so great that we wonder what difference we could possibly make. Sometimes, without even realising it, we learn to look away.

But Proverbs gives us a warning: “Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard.”

God is not only concerned with what we do to people; He is also concerned with what we refuse to do for them.

We can sin through oppression, but we can also sin through neglect. We may never intentionally harm someone ... yet we can see their need and choose to do nothing! We can hear their story, and remain unmoved. We can notice their hardship, and tell ourselves, “Someone else will help.”

God sees the person we overlook. Compassion often begins simply by seeing.

Our Lord Jesus was continually moved with compassion when He encountered people in need. He noticed the people others passed by. He stopped for the hurting. He welcomed the rejected. He fed the hungry. He touched the broken. He did not treat people as interruptions; they were opportunities to demonstrate the love of His Father.

As His followers, we are called to carry that same heart.

We should never underestimate what God can do through a small act of obedience.

A meal ... A phone call ... A helping hand ... A generous gift ... A listening ear ... A prayer offered at just the right moment. These things may seem small to us, but they are not small when they are done in love.

Scripture teaches us that we reap what we sow.

When we sow indifference, our hearts can become increasingly hardened. But when we sow mercy, generosity, and compassion, God shapes our hearts to look more like Christ.

So perhaps the question for us today is not, “How can I fix the poverty and suffering in this world?”

Perhaps may simply be:
“Lord, who have You placed in front of me that I have been failing to see?” 

The same God who hears the cry of the poor, hears your prayers. And as we extend mercy to others, we discover the joy of becoming channels of the mercy we ourselves have received from Him. We have received freely from God, now let us give freely to others that same grace we eperienced.

Prayer

Father, forgive me for the times I have seen a need and looked away, or heard a cry and chosen not to listen. Forgive me for becoming so focused on my own concerns that I fail to notice those You have placed around me.

Lord, give me the heart of Jesus. Give me eyes that see, ears that listen, and hands that are willing to help. Show me where I can make a difference, even if what I can offer seems small. Keep my heart from becoming hard or indifferent to the suffering of others.

Teach me to hold what I have with an open hand, trusting that You are my provider. Help me to sow mercy, generosity, and compassion wherever You lead me. And may my life reflect the love of Christ to those who are hurting and in need.

In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen!