Written By TWFT
Tuesday, February 14
“He defended the cause of the poor and needy…so all went well.” Jer 22:16 NIV
When he was a seminary student, Jim Wallis and some of his classmates took scissors to the Bible and cut out every verse about poverty, wealth, justice, or oppression. And would you believe it, by the time they had finished, there were some two thousand verses lying on the floor! The fact is, when you cut concern for the poor from your Bible, you cut the heart right out of it! Here is one such verse: “’He defended the cause of the poor and needy…so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?’ declares the Lord” (v. 16 NIV). Jesus often quoted Scripture, but only on one occasion do we find Him selecting and reading from it. And what portion did He choose to read publicly? “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners…recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Lk 4:18 NIV). Here was His to-do list: help for body and soul, strength for the physical and spiritual, and therapy for temporal and eternal. Now some people (albeit a minority) are poor because they’re lazy and need to be taught that God's Word says, “those unwilling to work will not get to eat” (2Th 3:10 NLT). But others are poor because parasites have weakened their bodies, or they spend six hours every day collecting water, or rebel armies have destroyed their farms, or AIDS had claimed their parents. These are the people God has assigned us to care for!
Tuesday, February 14
“He defended the cause of the poor and needy…so all went well.” Jer 22:16 NIV
When he was a seminary student, Jim Wallis and some of his classmates took scissors to the Bible and cut out every verse about poverty, wealth, justice, or oppression. And would you believe it, by the time they had finished, there were some two thousand verses lying on the floor! The fact is, when you cut concern for the poor from your Bible, you cut the heart right out of it! Here is one such verse: “’He defended the cause of the poor and needy…so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?’ declares the Lord” (v. 16 NIV). Jesus often quoted Scripture, but only on one occasion do we find Him selecting and reading from it. And what portion did He choose to read publicly? “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners…recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Lk 4:18 NIV). Here was His to-do list: help for body and soul, strength for the physical and spiritual, and therapy for temporal and eternal. Now some people (albeit a minority) are poor because they’re lazy and need to be taught that God's Word says, “those unwilling to work will not get to eat” (2Th 3:10 NLT). But others are poor because parasites have weakened their bodies, or they spend six hours every day collecting water, or rebel armies have destroyed their farms, or AIDS had claimed their parents. These are the people God has assigned us to care for!
Posted in Daily Devotions
Recent
Archive
2023
January
ENJOY EACH DAY OF THIS NEW YEAR (1)ENJOY EACH DAY OF THIS NEW YEAR (2)THIS YEAR THINK “POSSIBLE” (1)THIS YEAR THINK “POSSIBLE” (2)THIS YEAR THINK “POSSIBLE” (3)LET GOD LEAD YOUGOD IS YOUR PROVIDERYOUR OVERFLOWING CUP OF BLESSINGSTEPS TO OVERCOMING YOUR WORRIESFOCUS ON YOUR GOD-GIVEN VISIONTHE STORY OF YOUR BIBLEHOW GOD LEADS USHOW JESUS DEALT WITH SINARE YOU JOY-DEPRIVEDIT’S TIME TO PRAY (1)IT’S TIME TO PRAY (2)FAITH THAT BRINGS RESULTSBE FAITHFUL TO GOD AT WORKWHEN YOUR BEST ISN’T GOOD ENOUGHTODAY, GIVE YOUR PROBLEM TO GODSTEPS TO FORGIVENESS (1)STEPS TO FORGIVENESS (2)THE JOYS OF HEAVEN (1)THE JOYS OF HEAVEN (2)THE JOYS OF HEAVEN (3)LEARN TO CONTROL YOUR ANGERSEEK GOD FOR DIRECTIONTRY A POWER NAPGO TO THE RIGHT SOURCEHOW GOD SEES YOUYOU HAVE TO “WALK OUT” THE PROCESS
February
GUARD THESE THREE AREAS OF VULNERABILITYSIMPLIFY YOUR LIFEONWARD AND UPWARDYOU NEED EACH OTHER (1)YOU NEED EACH OTHER (2)YOU NEED EACH OTHER (3)SHOWING GRACE TOWARD THOSE WHO DIFFER WITH YOUARE YOU HAVING A NIGHTIME EXPERIENCE?A HEART FILLED WITH GOODNESSCHRIST’S LOVE FOR YOUGIVE GOD ALL THE GLORYYOU’RE A REFLECTORYOU MUST CARE FOR THE NEEDY (1)YOU MUST CARE FOR THE NEEDY (2)YOU MUST CARE FOR THE NEEDY (3)DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR SAULRECOVERING FROM BURNOUTSETTING THE CAPTIVES FREE (1)SETTING THE CAPTIVES FREE (2)HE WILL DO IT AGAIN!BEWARE OF SELF-PITYTODAY, CHOOSE THE RIGHT ATTITUDEBUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CHILDREN“SERVANT” FOR LIFECHANGE YOUR EXPECTATIONSSTART MEMORIZING SCRIPTURESCHRIST IS COMING AGAIN!FRIENDSHIP
March
EXPERIENCING GOD’S PRESENCE AND PLEASUREDON’T WAIT; ENJOY YOUR LIFE NOWMONEY MATTERS IN MARRIAGEUSE YOUR GOD-GIVEN CREATIVITYA PRAYER OF FORGIVENESSWHEN GOD SENDS YOU AN ANGEL (1)WHEN GOD SENDS YOU AN ANGEL (2)WHEN GOD SENDS YOU AN ANGEL (3)WHEN GOD SENDS YOU AN ANGEL (4)A PRAYER FOR FINANCIAL CONTENTMENTA PRAYER OF COMMITMENT TO GODHAVING A VISION FOR YOUR LIFECHANGE YOUR THINKING, CHANGE YOUR LIFE (1)CHANGE YOUR THINKING, CHANGE YOUR LIFE (2)CHANGE YOUR THINKING, CHANGE YOUR LIFE (3)DOES IT GLORIFY GOD?LESSONS FROM A BROKEN HEARTWHAT YOU MUST GIVE UPYOU NEED OTHERSREBUILDING YOUR MARRIAGE (1)REBUILDING YOUR MARRIAGE (2)REBUILDING YOUR MARRIAGE (3)REBUILDING YOUR MARRIAGE (4)THROUGH CHRIST, YOU CAN DO ITDEPEND ON GOD MORESTART SAYING, ‘I CAN’REFUSE TO LIVE IN FEAR (1)REFUSE TO LIVE IN FEAR (2)