Isaiah 1:16-17 – 16 Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. 17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
James 1:27 – Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Matthew 25:31-46 – 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 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.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “HE WILL REPLY, ‘TRULY I TELL YOU, WHATEVER YOU DID NOT DO FOR ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE, YOU DID NOT DO FOR ME.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Today I saw a picture of an Iraqi orphan girl. She had drawn a picture of a mommy on the sidewalk and then fell asleep on top of the picture of that mommy that she so desperately wanted. Devastating! Sometimes, I look at all I have and say “For what?” Seeing this picture of this little girl, or so many other tragic pictures like this one, on what do I place value? When I stand before God, where greed and selfishness do not stand, what will my excuse be? Because I am saved by grace I withheld compassion? Because He loves me is it okay that I enjoy all of God’s blessings while others that He loves starve for life’s necessities, most important of these, love. There are no excuses in heaven. No, I am certain I will be welcomed into His kingdom with open arms and at the same time, ashamed that I didn’t have enough of His love to lead a more spartan life that I might share practical love with others. I am speaking about me. This is my confession. Lord please re-make my selfish heart that withholds what I could give if I would sacrifice more, and I could sacrifice so very much more. Lord I enjoy the love you express to my spirit, my soul, and in all the practical ways like food to eat, drink to quench thirst, and a place to live. Forgive me for being a dam, rather than a conduit of your love, to so many who have greater needs than I do.
IHS 1/5/14