Cry of the Poor

     We were taking our puppy to training classes and noticed more and more homeless camps set up in our area. Along with the camps, seems to come piles of trash and an increase in graffiti. In our state, property owners bare most of the burden of costs due to no sales tax. As I looked around, I wondered where our tax dollars were going. It's not sheltering the homeless, cleaning up the debris or graffiti, or enforcing the laws. 

    I read Proverbs 17:5 today and it made me think about how we are caring for our poor, "Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished." Yet, Proverbs 17:12 provides a warning, "Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool bent on folly." How do I help, and if I do so, how do I do it safely? Many homeless in our area have issues with mental illness and drug use, both conditions can carry with them "folly" in the individuals. 

    The Bible reminds us that if we judge others, to judge fairly, "Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly," (Leviticus 19:15). We are also told to, "Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed," (Psalm 82:3). God rewards those who help the poor, "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done."

    So, as frustrating as it can be to look around and see the trail of despair that is filling up our communities all over the United States, as Christians, we must take a view of these situations with the eyes of God and not through the eyes of man. All that we have, God has provided. So, if others are in need, we are to do what we can to help them. We may not be able to do it all, but we can do our part, to be the hands and feet of God when He calls us to act on His behalf. 

Proverbs 21:13 Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.