God is Close to the Poor

When a prophet says, “This is how a man lives close to God,” I want to pay close attention to what he’s saying. I want that kind of intimacy with the Lord.

Often we think such closeness comes through more devout study of Scripture, or through an increase in our prayer time. Sometimes we think it comes through fasting and self-denial, or through an increased attitude of worship. Any of these things could lead to an increased closeness to the heart of the Father. But the wise prophet Jeremiah surprises us by drawing our attention to a more human responsibility: “He saw to it that justice and help were given to the poor and needy” (Jeremiah 22:16).

Note the definitive tone in what Jeremiah says about those who are close to God: “He saw to it.” The prophet doesn’t say, “This person thought a lot about the poor and felt compassionate toward them.” Or, “His heart went out to the needy,” or, “He prayed that God would help them.” No, Jeremiah uses a simple phrase to make plain what it takes to be close to God: “He saw to it that justice and help were given to the poor and needy.”

The message is clear: anyone who wants to live close to God will resolve in his or her heart to see to the needs of the poor. That person will see to it that the condition of those suffering in extreme poverty is changed. He will see to it that real, actual help is given to those in dire need.

Such a person will be like Kevin Ward, who left a comfortable home in the U.S. to start a Teen Challenge ministry in Africa that rescues babies with HIV/AIDS and loves them back to health. Such a person may be like John Cottrell, who brings life to the poorest in Cambodia through medical care. Or, he may be like Ron Bueno, who works to transform desperately poor communities in El Salvador. Such a person may even be like you or me, along with thousands of other unnamed believers, whose contributions help make such ministries a reality.

If God is close to the poor — and if we want to be close to God — Jeremiah shows us how it is done: We can be close to God by being close to the poor. We can have intimacy with the Lord by caring about what he cares about. Isaiah says of God, “He is determined that the poor of his people will find refuge” (Isaiah 14:32). Again, note the Lord’s resolve: he isn’t just hoping, wondering, longing and wishing — he is determined. God will find a way for the poor to find refuge. And for us, being close to God requires that we share in his determination.

Yet “seeing to it” is no small venture. In Amos 5:24, God says, “I want to see a flood of justice, a torrent of doing good.” Imagine a flood of God’s people going forth with determined resolve to change the plight of the needy. Imagine a torrent of such people rising up and, like Jesus, going about doing good. With every such person doing his or her small part, together a mass collaboration can see to it that the poor are no longer ignored. “For the needs of the needy shall not be ignored forever, the hopes of the poor shall not always be crushed” (Psalms 9:18). “A curse be upon those who close their eyes to poverty” (Proverbs 28:27). “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern” (Proverbs 29:7).

Now is the time for God’s people to become more determined than ever, even as Jesus was. It is time that we see to it that hungry children are fed, the naked are clothed, the sick are given proper care, and widows and orphans are brought to a place of refuge.

This month, your partnership with World Challenge once again enables us to continue seeing to it that real help goes to the poor and needy. Throughout the world, churches are being built in slums, food is being distributed to the starving, and orphaned children are being brought into homes. Our web site, www.worldchallenge.org, has a very special video that we invite you to view concerning a new ministry venture in one of the world’s worst slums, in Kenya, Africa. God is on the move.

Not all of us can go and live and work in World Missions. But all of us can see to it that we keep our hearts compassionate. By sharing with others we are seeing to it that a mighty flow and a torrent of good are being released on earth. And this is how a man lives close to God.

A Call to Prayer
In Dhaka, Bangladesh, amid the wide streets filled with fast paced rickshaws and seas of people, a miracle is in progress.

Dhaka Girls' Home

An old, weather stained building (pictured at left) in the capital city harbors great change in the lives of many of Dhaka’s loneliest little girls, left orphaned by various circumstances. With innocence lost, families shattered and little hope of normalcy, these young girls are being rescued from the streets, supplied with life’s basic essentials and soothed with God’s love.

To keep up with the rapidly growing population of orphans, World Challenge is assisting in the building of a new, larger orphanage in Dhaka. Prayer support is vital to the success of any missions endeavor and we are in need of people who are committed to stand with us in prayer.

Please pray specifically for the children and workers in this orphanage. Pray that we will be effective in reaching and ministering to the girls, for their salvation and for the funds to complete the new building and to support the ongoing ministry in Dhaka, Bangladesh.