Poverty

So our natural thinking would be that if someone is poor then that is because they are lazy. (Assuming they have no obvious extenuating circumstance, like severe illness or a handicap which stops them earning a living).

But is that correct? Is that what the Bible says?

It seems that at a national level poverty comes to those nations which reject God. This especially applies to Israel. When they were walking closely with God all was well. But when they walked their own way. When they rejected God and followed other gods. Then he would sometimes use poverty to get their attention. To remind them that they had walked away from him. Poverty and famine are a wake up call. At a national level.

But does that still apply at a personal level? Job was poor for a while. God wasn’t trying to get his attention. He hadn’t walked away from God. Job was a good guy.

The widow whom Yeshua commended for putting her two leptons, (a very small amount), into the offering box because it was all she had to live on was clearly very poor. But she was commended by Yeshua. God wasn’t trying to get her attention. She hadn’t walked away from God.

Mary and Joseph were poor. They offered two pigeons to redeem their firstborn son, (Yeshua). In Deuteronomy we read that if you are really poor and can’t afford a lamb, you may redeem your firstborn with two pigeons. But they were hardly walking away from God! They were hardly following other gods. God was still talking with Joseph in dreams. They were good guys. (But poor).

Now poverty is hardly a blessing. But my point is that it’s not a curse either. It’s way better than being so rich that you forget God. Being so rich that you forget that whether you are aware of it or not, you are totally relying on God for your every breath.

In the letter to the church at Laodicea Yeshua told them off because they thought they were rich, but they were actually pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

So, you. Rich? Poor? Wish you weren’t?
Neither is a measure of the blessing of God in your life.
So just focus on serving God. And let him worry about your financial circumstances.


	Poverty
READING Mark 12 Luke 2 Leviticus 12 Revelation 3 Rich or poor, neither is a measure of the blessing of God in your life.	So our natural thinking would be that if someone is poor then that is because they are lazy. (Assuming they have no obvious extenuating circumstance, like severe illness or a handicap which stops them earning a living). But is that correct? Is that what the Bible says? It seems that at a national level poverty comes to those nations which reject God. This especially applies to Israel. When they were walking closely with God all was well. But when they walked their own way. When they rejected God and followed other gods. Then he would sometimes use poverty to get their attention. To remind them that they had walked away from him. Poverty and famine are a wake up call. At a national level. But does that still apply at a personal level? Job was poor for a while. God wasn’t trying to get his attention. He hadn’t walked away from God. Job was a good guy. The widow whom Yeshua commended for putting her two leptons, (a very small amount), into the offering box because it was all she had to live on was clearly very poor. But she was commended by Yeshua. God wasn’t trying to get her attention. She hadn’t walked away from God. Mary and Joseph were poor. They offered two pigeons to redeem their firstborn son, (Yeshua). In Deuteronomy we read that if you are really poor and can’t afford a lamb, you may redeem your firstborn with two pigeons. But they were hardly walking away from God! They were hardly following other gods. God was still talking with Joseph in dreams. They were good guys. (But poor). Now poverty is hardly a blessing. But my point is that it’s not a curse either. It’s way better than being so rich that you forget God. Being so rich that you forget that whether you are aware of it or not, you are totally relying on God for your every breath. In the letter to the church at Laodicea Yeshua told them off because they thought they were rich, but they were actually pitiful, poor, blind and naked. So, you. Rich? Poor? Wish you weren’t? Neither is a measure of the blessing of God in your life. So just focus on serving God. And let him worry about your financial circumstances.