Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.
Proverbs 19:17 NIV
Be Kind to the Poor
Based on data from the 2021 Census of Population, the poverty rate in Canada was 8.1% in 2020, down from 14.5% in 2015. Poverty decreased for people in all age groups during this period, but declines were larger among children and youth 17 years and under. In 2020, the poverty rates of children 0 to 5 years (9.1%), 6 to 10 years (8.5%) and youth 11 to 17 years (7.9%) were all less than half their levels in 2015.
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Author Pearl Buck once wrote “the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members.” This truism has been put many ways over the years, as far back as wise King Solomon. He wrote this in Proverbs 19:17: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” Those who have received the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ, and who recognize that every good and perfect gift they have has been given by God, are called to be kind to the poor. We are the body of Christ – His hands and feet to share His love with the neediest. It is a powerful truth – when we share with the neediest in our world, we are lending to the Lord. It shows the place the poor have in God’s heart. King Solomon noticed that those who are generous in giving to the needy enjoy the blessing of God on their lives. But that can’t be the impetus for our generosity. We serve those in need because God cares about them and calls us to show them just how much.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley