TOPIC: TREAT THE POOR RIGHT
MEMORISE:
He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor. Proverbs 14:31
READ: Psalms 10:1 -15
1 Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
5 His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
6 He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.
7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
9 He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.
10 He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
MESSAGE
God is very passionate about poor people and He does not like them being oppressed at all. In fact, in our memory verse today, the Bible says that whoever oppress the poor is reproaching God Himself.
In Matthew 25:45, God put Himself in the shoes of the poor and said whatever you do to them, you have done to Him. God is passionate about the poor and if you treat them badly, He will punish you for it. In our Bible reading for today, verse two says that the wicked who persecutes the poor will be taken in his own devices, in other words, the same persecution that he is giving to the poor will be given to him also.
He hath said in his heart, l shall not be moved:for l shall never be in adversity.
Psalm 10:6
The above verse is the thought of those who oppress the poor. They think that because they are high up there now, they can never become like one of the poor people, but that is a big lie. There are stories upon stories of people who are very wealthy, but somehow found themselves without any possessions after some time. Many of such people were brought down from their high positions because they did not treat the poor around them well.
Another thing that God can do is to leave the rich fellow where he is and then lift up the poor to become so great that the former would be like servant. ISamuel 2:8 and Psalm 113:7-8 say the same thing: that God can take the poor out of the dust and set him to be amongst the princes of the land. This is what God did to the Potiphars. Mrs. Potiphar accused Joseph wrongly and because Joseph was too poor to get a lawyer to argue his case. Mr. Potiphar just threw him in prison without any trial. Before long, God raised Joseph up to be greater than the Potiphar in the same land.
Don't ever oppress those who don't have as much as you do, feeling that things will always be the way they are now. God is not sleeping, He is watching all that you are doing and says that, as long as you are oppressing the poor, you are reproaching Him. Don't call for God's wrath.
KEY POINT
If you keep oppression the poor, God may make you their servant tomorrow.
BIBILE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 1-4
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 16: O GOD OUR HELP IN AGES PAST
God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
2 Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure.
3 Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.
4 A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
5 Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.
6 O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while life shall last,
And our eternal home.
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