Monday, October 15, 2007

October 16: SENSITIVE TO HUMAN NEED

It’s a beautiful time of the year to live in a rural area. It is the climax of the Harvest season. The Roadside Farmer’s Market and the giant harvesters in the fields give evidence of a good harvest. Now, who will get to enjoy all of the harvest becomes the big question. If history is any reflection of fact, the majority of the harvested food will go to homes that already have filled pantries and filled freezers. Sad! Those living below the poverty level will still have to worry about their next meal.
Ample food is being produced in the world to feed every person but we are woefully weak in our distribution. We don’t demand of our politicians that they pass laws that will facilitate food distribution to the hungry of the world so they focus their attention on the distribution of weapons of destruction and ammunition.
Shame on us! We want the world to look up to us so we try to achieve it by force. God’s Word says, “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” (Isaiah 58:9a-10) We look for world dominance through power but it can only come through serving the needy and working for justice.
Regardless of the religion we profess by mouth, the Judgement Day that Jesus describes in Matthew 25:31-46 hinges on the hard, cold reality of “For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink.” (v.42) Does your church have a on-going focus on relieving World Hunger? Are you teaching the children how to practically share with the hungry? Feeding the hungry aligns you with Jesus.

“It is such a simple and clear lesson that You teach us, Dear Lord, about
feeding the hungry. Forgive us, please, our hard and cold hearts. Amen”

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