Exodus 22: 25-31: “If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. If thou at all take thy neighbour’s raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious. Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people. Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me. And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.”
We live in a day when people believe that they can completely control their own destiny by making the right kind of affirmations. However, this is not true the Lord said, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4: 13-17) In this environment, many people despise those who are poor and say that it is their own fault. Who can actually guarantee that they will still be alive tomorrow? Who can guarantee that every child will know their own mother’s love? There are too many things that we cannot control. In fact, the Lord is the only One Who can make firm commitments because He knows the end from the beginning (see Isaiah 46: 10, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:”). This is why it is so important for those who have money to treat the poor with compassion. If a person needs their coat to keep them warm at night then someone who takes that coat as a guarantee against the repayment of a loan is evil and the Lord will hear those who are persecuted and He can destroy a person is hell (see Luke 12: 4-7, “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”) The Lord gives and takes but it is important for us to thank the Lord for all that He gives.
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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