If you answered yes to any of those questions, I would venture to say you have been blessed, and abundantly. Most of the people in this world live in poverty...on less than 2 dollars a day!
Wouldn't you like to know how your family could be even more blessed? Way more than you could ever imagine? I thought so... :)
We are very rich here in the US. Little things like indoor toilets, clean running water, and pre-packaged convenience food that we take for granted every day would be luxuries to many people in the world!
In ancient Israel, the people worked hard all year long, planting and taking care of their crops, so that when harvest time came, they would be able to reap an abundance and have what they needed to take care of their families. It was an important time, and there were God given rules about the harvest and what they were to do with it.
There have always been orphans, widows and homeless people. And even in ancient Israel, God told His people to take care of them. He even told them exactly how.
When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the orphan and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow.
...that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
Wow!
There are many verses about orphans and widows in the Bible that I love. We know God Himself deems caring for them so important because He mentions them so many different times in the Bible.
God's own definition of religion is to care for orphans and widows in their distress (James 1:27). If that is God's own definition, then we must also take it very seriously.
Considering there are close to 143 million orphans in the world today...not to mention widows, we have a lot of work to do. Don't you think? Have you ever thought of what that verse means to you?
I mean really, seriously, considered it?
I invite you to do just that today. Then see how the Lord blesses you.
Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. Matt 18:5
