Today’s Blog: Hungry?
TODAY’S PROVERB: ADONAI will not let a righteous soul go hungry, but thwarts the cravings of the wicked. Proverbs 10:3, TLV
For many years, this verse confused me. We don’t have to search too long to find stories of followers of Jesus who are indeed hungry. Who are persecuted and martyred. Given these brothers and sister are no less righteous than us in the U.S. — because of that atoning sacrifice — then why are they hungry?
It wasn’t until I fully comprehended that there’s a difference between the body and the soul that I understood today’s proverb.
This means that even if/when the body is afflicted, our soul will never go hungry. Whatever we need for spiritual nourishment — even in poverty and persecution — He will always supply.
In fact, this is one of the principles and benefits of fasting. Ironically, fasting can sometimes serve us up a great banquet of spiritual food.
There’s another part of this proverb. And it really speaks to charity and justice — being the hands and feet of our Father. The poor in the Jewish community did not need to go hungry. In the agrarian regions of Israel, farmers would leave the corners of their crops so that the poor could reap for themselves. Anything the laborers dropped was left for them as well.
“Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the furthest corners of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Rather you are to leave them for the poor and for the outsider. I am Adonai your God.”
THE MOST HIGH GOD DICTATING THE TORAH TO MOSES, LEVITICUS 23:22, TLV
Sharing the wealth?
Even with the early believers in Yeshua, there was a sense of sharing the wealth with the — then — small Jewish community. Many sold what they owned and ate communally.
“No one among them was needy, for all who were owners of lands or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds and set them at the feet of the emissaries. And the proceeds were distributed according to the need each one had.”
LUKE WRITES, ACTS 4:34-35, TLV
This was all voluntary, there was no Biblical mandate to do this. However, it demonstrates where our early brothers and sisters were spiritually. A sense of generosity and benevolence.
James/Jacob, the half brother of Jesus had a lot to say about how a true follower should demonstrate their faith. He also truly speaks well of the poor and how we are to have respect for them. (James, chapter 2)
“If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in shalom [peace], keep warm and well fed,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is that?”
JAMES GIVING US “WHAT FOR”, JAMES 2:15-16, TLV
Sigh. I hadn’t expected for this blog to take this path, but, well, sometimes that’s what our Heavenly Father does. I do feel convicted to do more than the once or twice a year giving to support charities that help the poor. He will probably be showing me what He wants me to do. In the meantime, I’m grateful for this lesson.
May we stay tuned to our Father’s will, my friends.
Proverbs 10:3 Tree of Life Version – TLV, #tlvbible, #tlvproverbs
HAVE PINTEREST? I WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU SHARED
