Blessed are the Poor

For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ Deuteronomy 15:11 English Standard Version (ESV) God did not make everyone rich for a reason. In fact, there are many more poor people in this world than there are wealthy people. Our Heavenly Father is rich and everything is His. So, just maybe He is watching to see what the "haves" will do for the "have nots." Luke's gospel tells us that Jesus said that the poor are blessed for theirs is the Kingdom of God (Luke 6:20). Matthew added "those who are poor and realize their need for Him" (Matthew 5:3 NLT) because he was inspired to tell those who were financially well off that they too can be blessed to have the Kingdom but their money has nothing to do with it. Bottom line: The poor have access to God's Kingdom and that privilege cannot be bought with cash. When people struggle to survive financially, keeping a roof over their heads and food on the table can be overwhelming. Many do not have much and some others have nothing. However, those who have anything are wise to remember that we are blessed to be a blessing. Claiming to be "conservative" as a means to be selfish doesn't work with God because He's looking at the heart. There is trouble in our world because many of the few who are wealthy have no desire to help the masses of people who are poor. Purses tightly clutched with a sense of entitlement that what we have acquired is ours alone may sometimes please our financial status in this world. But does this please God? God's Word is very clear on the subject of helping those in need. Everything belongs to Him and He commands us to share what He has blessed us to receive with those who are less fortunate. If we want all the riches of God's Kingdom, we will have to open our hearts and often our wallets and do what He says. Why do we hold so tightly to what is not really ours in the first place? Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” Matthew 19:23-24 (NLT)