S) "5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?"
James 2:5 (NASB)
O) The context here, is that James was giving a warning, a reminder to the churches not to show partiality. Specifically, he was warning them against preferring wealthy people in their congregations. In the next two verses (vv.6-7), he also reminds the church that it is often the wealthy who are contending with the church. But, he does start on a more positive reminder. Throughout Scripture, we see that God has always had a heart for the poor of this world. In the Old Testament, there were actual commands to specifically care for the poor (like leaving a portion of the harvest for them to glean). The prophets almost uniformly condemned the nations of Israel and Judah, because there was persistent mistreatment of the poor. But, James reveals another facet of the poor, another thing they tend to have: faith. And why is that? God ordained it this way. The poor need Him, and open eyes and open ears come from God alone. Furthermore, it was always God's plan that the gospel be preached to the poor (see Matthew 11:5, Luke 14:21). The poor have no one else to save them, except God. And so, it seems throughout the world, that the poor have more faith in God's provision, salvation, grace, mercy, and love. Jesus warned that a man cannot serve both God and wealth, but a poor man has no such choice to make. Jesus also promised that the kingdom of God belongs to the poor (see Luke 6:20). Not only should we be careful to show no partiality to the rich, but we should be discerning enough to understand that often times, the poor of this world will be more qualified for use in God's hands, according to God's standard of evaluation.
A) This verse is actually a great comfort to me, because I have been poor most of my life. The exception, when I was doing well financially, I was terribly poor in my spirit (see my entry on Revelation 3:17). There have been times, as a husband and father, when I have been terribly frustrated, even depressed to a point, about my apparent inability to make more money for my wife and kids. There have been times when debts seem to sprout from nowhere, and financial hardships pile against me. However, in all that time, through all those struggles, here I am. God is faithful. I am not the provider for my family, my Lord is. I am His faithful servant. Because of those hardships, because of the lean months, I have learned to pray through. I have learned of the depths to His faithfulness. I have learned to trust Him completely, to meet our every need. I am thankful that I have been poor as much as I have been, because it has given me an unshakeable faith.
P) Father God, thank You for changing my mind about my low circumstances. Thank You for the grace at work, in redeeming me from my wrong view of money and success. Whatever it takes to keep me close to You, that's what I want for the rest of my life circumstances. If I must be poor in order to serve You better, then that is exactly what I want. Thank You for giving me the faith I have, for opening my eyes to see Your power and might, for opening my ears to hear the gospel and truth. I confess that I am still prone to idolizing a blessing. Help me to not view poverty as superior, then. James warned us not to prefer the wealthy, but I don't want to show partiality to anyone. Help me to lay aside preconceived ideas, and see people for who they are in Christ. Help me to maintain contentment, by focusing on You and the heavenly things. Let me continue to live modestly, using the resources that You do give me, to further Your purposes, kingdom, and the preaching of the gospel. Let Your will be done, whether I am wealthy or poor. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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