Sometimes being poor is a choice, as it says in Proverbs 10:4 “Lazy people are soon poor;” now I do not believe that this is the truth about most people that consider themselves poor. Even Jesus said to His disciples that the poor would always be with us. But when you look at Scripture you will notice that God has a lot of good things to say about the poor. He does not look down at the poor, He actually teaches in Scripture that He is their defender, their provider, and their Creator, just as He says about making the rich man (Proverbs 22:2). God tells us about the calamity of the poor throughout Scripture and how hard life is for them. All of the real life struggles that they endure.
In Scripture it is taught that we have a lot of opportunities to reach out and help the poor, and if we do then we are going to blessed by God (Proverbs 19:17, 14:31, 14:21, 28:27). If we oppress them, take advantage of them, shut our ears to their cries for help, if we stand by and watch people take advantage of them and do not speak up in their behalf, then according to Scripture we are doing the wrong thing and there will be consequences according to Scripture. When you read through this study, read it slowly and meditate on what the Scriptures are saying to you!!! Let them sink in and ask God to give you opportunities to be a blessing to others and to give you the discernment not to reach out and help their drug addictions and alcoholism, but to actually help those who need a meal or just need financial help. I have heard it said that if you have change somewhere in a piggy bank or an ashtray or somewhere else, that you are actually in the upper 8 percent of the entire world’s economy, that’s right you are considered rich compared to 92 percent of the people in the world. I have heard people that I know, say that if someone has something in their house that is new and unopened that they consider that person rich. It is amazing how people look at what makes a person rich. But I want you to look at what the definition says about the poor “having little or no money; not having enough to live on; needy. That is what truly being poor is.
In Scripture you will see that it is an honor to be poor, not some kind of a virtue like some people try to teach. Some people try to teach that they are super spiritual if they are poor, this is not necessarily true at all. When you study Scripture you will see that God’s chosen people were from all sorts of different backgrounds especially in the finance department. The Book of Acts actually has to address some of these lazy people that were just acting like leeches to the other believers. So even believers can be lazy and be poor. I do not believe that this is the majority, but this is where you ask God for that discernment when you are about to help someone.
There are some interesting Scriptures in this study, such as Proverbs 21:17 “Those who love pleasure become poor,” I believe that this is a warning to those who love pleasure, that they better be better stewards of what the LORD has given them. Another Scripture that is interesting is Proverbs 29:14 “A king who is fair to the poor will have a long reign.” This is obviously a promise of God, not just an observation. In contrast to this we have Ecclesiastes 5:8-9 where we see a king who milks the land for his own profit and the poor are forgotten about because of red tape and bureaucracy.
The lesson to be taught here! Be fair and just with the poor stand up for them where they cannot and do not worry about pleasing man, but instead reach out to the poor and please God and see if He does not return to you some kind of real blessing. As it says in Proverbs 19:17 “If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD – and he will repay you!” I don’t know about you, but I believe that our God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, who created the universe, who I have personally put to the test on many of His promises throughout Scripture, tells me that He is going to repay me, I am sure the dividends will be more than sufficient. I do not think that you could probably make a better investment than to have God tell you that He will repay you!!! Well, I hope that you will view the poor differently than you have in the past and that God gives you an opportunity to be blessed by Him, so that you can be a blessing to others. May God Bless You and keep you and may you be rich in faith!!!!!
Poor: adj. 1. having little or no money; not having enough to live on; needy
Proverbs 10:4
Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.
Proverbs 10:15
The wealth of the rich is their fortress; the poverty of the poor is their calamity.
Proverbs 13:7
Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor.
Proverbs 13:8
The rich can pay a ransom, but the poor won’t even get threatened
Proverbs 14:20
The poor are despised even by their neighbors, while the rich have many “friends.”
Proverbs 14:21
It is sin to despise one’s neighbors; blessed are those who help the poor.
Proverbs 14:31
Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who help the poor honor him.
Proverbs 17:5
Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.
Proverbs 18:23
The poor plead for mercy; the rich answer with insults.
Proverbs 19:1
It is better to be poor and honest than to be a fool and dishonest.
Proverbs 19:4
Wealth makes many “friends”; poverty drives them away.
Proverbs 19:7
If the relatives of the poor despise them, how much more will their friends avoid them. The poor call after them, but they are gone.
Proverbs 19:17
If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD – and he will repay you!
Proverbs 19:22
Loyalty makes a person attractive. And it is better to be poor than dishonest.
Proverbs 21:13
Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.
Proverbs 21:17
Those who love pleasure become poor; wine and luxury are not the way to riches.
Proverbs 22:2
The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD made them both.
Proverbs 22:7
Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.
Proverbs 22:16
A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty.
Proverbs 22:22-23
Do not rob the poor because they are poor or exploit the needy in court. For the LORD is their defender. He will injure anyone who injures them.
Proverbs 28:3
A poor person who oppresses the poor is like a pounding rain that destroys the crops.
Proverbs 28:6
It is better to be poor and honest than rich and crooked.
Proverbs 28:8
A person who makes money by charging interest will lose it. It will end up in the hands of someone who is kind to the poor.
Proverbs 28:11
Rich people picture themselves as wise, but their real poverty is evident to the poor.
Proverbs 28:27
Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing. But a curse will come upon those who close their eyes to poverty.
Proverbs 29:7
The godly know the rights of the poor; the wicked don’t care to know.
Proverbs 29:13
The poor and the oppressor have this in common – the LORD gives light to the eyes of both.
Proverbs 29:14
A king who is fair to the poor will have a long reign.
Proverbs 30:11-14
Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother. They feel pure, but they are filthy and unwashed. They are proud beyond description and disdainful. They devour the poor with teeth as sharp as swords or knives. They destroy the needy from the face of the earth.
Proverbs 31:8-9
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those who are perishing. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice
Psalm 107:39-41
When they decrease in number and become impoverished through oppression, trouble, and sorrow, the LORD pours contempt on their princes, causing them to wander in trackless wastelands. But he rescues the poor from their distress and increases their families like vast flocks of sheep.
Psalm 109:16-22 Side note: This was a prayer to God from a poor soul.
For he refused all kindness to others; he persecuted the poor and needy, and he hounded the brokenhearted to death. He loved to curse others; now you curse him. He never blessed others; now don’t you bless him. Cursing is as much a part of him as his clothing, or as the water he drinks, or the rich food he eats. Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing; may they be tied around him like a belt. May those curses become the LORD’s punishment for my accusers who are plotting against my life. But deal well with me, O Sovereign LORD, for the sake of your own reputation! Rescue me because you are so faithful and good. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is full of pain.
Psalm 37:14-15
The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed, to slaughter those who do right. But they will be stabbed through the heart with their own swords, and their bows will be broken
James 1:9
Christians who are poor should be glad, for God has honored them.
Isaiah 61:1-2 Side note: This was a prophecy about Jesus, 680 years before he appeared. He quoted most of this verse in Luke 4:18-19, and said that this prophecy was fulfilled in Luke 4:21. But the day of the LORD is still to come.
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, the LORD has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
Ecclesiastes 5:8-9
If you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and justice being miscarried throughout the land, don’t be surprised! For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice only get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. Even the king milks the land for his own profit!
Ecclesiastes 6:7-9
All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough. Considering this, do wise people really have any advantage over fools? Do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others?
Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless; it is like chasing the wind.
Luke 6:20
Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is given to you.
Proverbs 15:15
For the poor, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.
Proverbs 13:23
A poor person’s farm may produce much food, but injustice sweeps it all away.
Proverbs 16:8
It is better to be poor and godly than rich and dishonest.
Proverbs 16:19
It is better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud.