"Spiritually Poor"

"If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail." Job 31:16 

In this verse Job is making his case for his innocence concerning the "punishment" that he perceives he is going through. He declares that he has helped the poor and the widows and not withheld from them what they desired or needed. Can we say the same? Can we say that we have helped the poor and needy? The Bible says that true religion is to help the widows and orphans in their affliction. But there is another way also that we help them that is not physical, that is not material and that is not monetary.

 

Without Christ as Savior, we are spiritually poor. Our souls are not enjoying spiritual prosperity. While we should help the poor when it is in our ability to do so, just meeting a person's physical need is not enough. You can meet it today and that same person can be in need tomorrow. Jesus said, "You have the poor with you always."

 

But when you meet a person's spiritual need, you have given him something that is eternal and that will satisfy his soul more than bread that will satisfy his stomach. So, how do we do that? How do we meet a person's spiritual need? How do we help them in their spiritual poverty? We don't "withhold" the gospel from them.

 

Job declares that he didn't withhold any physical need from the poor. Can we say the same thing about the "spiritual poor"? Are we giving them "bread" to feed their spiritual hunger? Are we telling them about Jesus- the Bread of Life? Are we giving them sustenance for their souls? Jesus told the woman at the well that whoever drinks the water from that well would thirst again. But whoever drinks the water that He has-- which is salvation and eternal life-- will never thirst again. 

 

When the spiritual need of a person is met, they will never be thirsty again, hungry again, needy, or poor. The only way it can be met is through Jesus Christ. And the only way they will know Jesus is if someone tells them-- if someone who already knows Him will not withhold the good news from them. Is that person you? Are you giving the poor-- the lost-- what they really need?

 

Have a great day. Are you withholding the gospel from those who are spiritually poor so that they can become spiritually rich?

 

For further reading:

James 1:27

3 John 1:2

Matthew 26:11

John 4:13,14; 6:35,41

Romans 10:14