Psalm 34:6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
Some people would argue with me about what I am about to say. I believe that the Bible is written with specific words that have specific meaning. I believe when we study the Bible we should learn what those words meant in their original form and the context they were written in. However, and this is where some may disagree, I do not believe that there is always one cut and dry meaning for a verse in scripture. I believe the Bible is what it says it is, ‘alive and active.’ I believe you can read a verse at on point in your life and the Holy Spirit can allow it to speak to you in a certain way. Then at another point in your life you can read the same verse and the Holy Spirit allow it to speak in a different way to you.
If you have a problem with that, I am sorry. I am not saying I am right and you are wrong. I am just saying all of that because that is what happened when I read and studied this verse. I believe the verse David is writing here is about himself. David was at a very low point while running from Saul and so he called out to the Lord and the Lord delivered him from the difficult troubles he was going through.
When I read this verse I hear the Holy Spirit speaking and saying, the poor need to call out! I am taken back to Romans 10:14, ‘How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?’ Lately God has burned my heart even more for the lost. I have thought more and more about those who are in darkness, those who are poor.
The world is full of people who are spiritually poor. They do not have anything of value when it comes to eternity. They may have the perfect job, a nice car, a beautiful house, plenty of money in the bank and their retirement account. By the worlds standards they are rich, wealthy, well to do. We would say, “they have it all.” The problem is by God’s standard they are poor. They do not have a person relationship with Christ. When they die they will not only lose their job, car, house, and money, they will lose their life both physically and spiritually. They will be separated from Christ for eternity which is spiritual death.
If that isn’t troubles I don’t know what is! The spiritually poor person needs saved from his troubles to come. The only way they can do that is to call out to Jesus and accept Him as their Lord and Savior. Romans 10:13 promises us, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Hopefully you see how I can read verse 6 and feel the Holy Spirit speaking to me. The cool thing is I actually worked on the above part last night. I started to get tired and figured I would pick up here in the morning. This morning I sit here and read this and the Holy Spirit takes my thoughts in a different direction.
As I read this verse and think about the poor I am reminded how much the bible talks about the poor. Did you know the Bible contains over 300 verses about the poor? That is a lot! When God sees it as important to put something in the Bible that many times we should be thinking how important it is and should be looking at what His word says about the poor.
Luke 3:11 tells us, ‘John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”’ I don’t know about you but when I read about someone who has no shirt or someone who has no food I think that person must be very poor! I have lived such a blessed and sheltered life that I can not even begin to understand what life must be like for people who are truly poor. I can imagine a person like this would cry out to the Lord for help. When Jesus walked this earth he helped many people that we would describe as poor. Some where poor because of physical issues they had. Jesus was here walking the earth and was able to directly help them. That is no longer the case. Our Lord and Savior ascending into heaven after his crucifixion and resurrection. When he did that he changed the way things would be done. No longer was he personally here to help the poor and needy.
Lets take a minute and read Matthew 25:35-40.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
You want a list of poor people look at those in verse 35-36. They all faced a trouble of some kind. Then what do we see Jesus say, that if we give them what they need we are are doing it for Him. We are doing the work He wants us to do! We are allowing the Lord to use us to deliver others out of their troubles. As Christians we should constantly be looking for opportunities to meet the needs of the poor. We should constantly be looking for different ways to deliver them from their troubles.
Sadly, the Church has missed out on what God has called us to do. We have somewhere along the line handed the ball over to our government and told them that it is their job to take care of the poor, of the widows of the orphans. That goes against what God tells us in his word. James 1:27 tells us ‘Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…’ He doesn’t say our government should look after them. He tells us that His followers should look after them!
I am guessing there has been a time when the Holy Spirit has talked to you and told you to meet someones need, to help them in their time of trouble. I pray that you listened to Him and followed through. However, I am guessing if you are like me there have been times he has asked you to do something to help someone else and you didn’t listen. You probably came up with a great excuse or found a way to justify not helping when you were capable to. Go back to Luke 3:11 for a second, ‘“Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”’ When God has blessed you, when he has given you what you need and more we are to share it with those who are poor! We are to help deliver them from their troubles. It is times as Christians we realize how blessed we are, how much we have, and how little some have! It is time we open up our eyes, our heart, our wallet, our closet, our cupboards and help deliver the poor from their troubles! Then the Lord in Heaven will be glorified!
Things to Think About
1.) Give an example when you have the same verse in the Bible at different times and it has spoken to you in different ways.
2.) Tell of a time when you were in a place of trouble and the Lord delivered you from it. Did he use someone else to meet your need?
3.) Explain a time when you felt the Holy Spirit calling you to meet someones need and you didn’t listen. What excuse or justification did you use?