Care for the poor
The righteous know the rights of the poor,
but the wicked don’t understand. ~ Proverbs 29:7a (CEB)
Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. ~ 2 Corinthians 8:14a (NLT)
KEY IDEA:
Caring about those in need is a fundamental dimension of our relationship with God.
PRAYER:
Lord, I am in many ways a needy person. And yet you care about me. I'm so thankful that you're not just interested in rich and successful people. I confess that it is so easy to care about important people who have lots of money. That happens all the time in our world. And it makes me want to be "successful" so that people will pay attention to me. But I know that this is not how you think or operate. I am asking that you would refresh my mind so that it remembers to care for the poor. I want to be like my Savior and Lord Christ Jesus. He spent his life attending to the needy. It is in his name that I pray. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
