“Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org/ 

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  

http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht   

“Homily Grits Devotional”   http://www.homilygrits.com/ 

Matthew 25:35-40…  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You,or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as youdidit to one of the least of these My brethren, youdidittoMe.’ (NKJV)

Christians are called to have compassion, when they see someone who is in need…  What better example do we have in the Bible, but Jesus Himself; who had compassion for the lost, the sick, the hungry, and the poor…

Matthew 9:36… But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.  (NKJV)

Matthew 14:14…  And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.  (NKJV)

I am reminded of the Parable of the Good Samaritan, in the Bible…who stopped to help a “certain man” who had fallen; and then was beaten, robbed, and left for dead by the thieves…  Jesus speaks of at least 2 people who had walked by, and crossed to the other side of the street…seeming not to notice this injured man…  But the Samaritan (who was considered an enemy by the Jews), stopped and helped this poor fellow…  Here is the link for the short Parable… http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=lu10:25-37&version=NKJV

The opening scripture teaches us, that as Christians, if we stop and help anyone who is in need of anything we can provide them…it will be the same as if we were helping Christ Himself…

Jesus goes on to tell us in this Parable, that those who neglected to help someone in need (those on the left hand, referring to unbelievers, in…Matthew 25:33), when they had the resources that God had given them to begin with…would suffer everlasting punishment…

Matthew 25:45-46… Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into everlastingpunishment, but the righteous into eternallife.”  (NKJV)

The apostle Paul pens this, in…2 Corinthians 9:10… Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, (NKJV)

Other scripture written by the wise Solomon in the Old Testament, tells us this, in…Proverbs 19:17… He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will payback what he has given.  (NKJV)

Christians cannot out give God…  The apostle Paul tells us this, in…2 Corinthians 9:8… And God is able to make allgraceabound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.  (NKJV)

The apostle John, late in his life (maybe 85-90 years old), wrote this…1 John 3:17… But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?  (NKJV)

So the next time you see someone with a real need…and God has blessed you with the resources to help (whether it is with your time, your talent, with your finances, or just compassionate words for edification)…think of Jesus…   Have compassion for those who are less fortunate…and lend a helping hand…  It’s the exact same thing as helping Jesus Himself…

Heavenly Father, Your Word is clear, that those You have blessed with much, should have compassion on those who find themselves in need…  Help all of us Lord, to see things the way You did…when You walked among us as an example of for all of Your children to be conformed to…Romans 8:29…  I pray that all of Your children would learn to be obedient to Your will and Your ways…and that Your richest blessings would then supply all of their needs…in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…

written by bruce r mills