Today’s devotion comes from James 5:1-6.
“1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! 4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.” James 5:1-6.
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“Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy.” Ezekiel 16:49
Today’s Scripture is harsh, and we may naturally try to escape from it. But, I think there are some things that we can do to better “help the poor and needy”.
First, we personally can make sure that we fairly and quickly pay those who work for us as day and hourly laborers on the same day of their service.
“You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning.” Leviticus 19:13.
Notice in Jesus’ parable of the landowner in the kingdom of heaven, that the landowner paid his laborers on the same day of their service. “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard *said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’” Matthew 20:8
Second, for personal loans, we can personally decide to not charge interest. “If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest.” Exodus 22:25.
Third, as a nation, we can make sure that we have merciful laws. We think of bankruptcy laws and “homestead exemption from the claims of creditors” laws when we read Scripture like Exodus 22:26-27. “If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets, for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for I am gracious.”
Fourth, when we work, we can make sure that there is an overflow or other provision to share with others. “Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:9-10.
1 Timothy 6:18
“Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,”
“Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,”
Ephesians 4:28
“He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.”
“He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.”
I think of this attorney (not me) who puts most of the fine food gifts that his firm receives on the common room table for all to share.
I think of not grabbing every bit of beautiful land, but saving some land for public parks. I think of public accesses to beaches.
And, how about public restrooms?! No, as a society, we would rather lock up the homeless as a sexual offender who dares take a pee by a bush!
We may not be as good as others in helping the poor and needy. But, we all can still find ways to help the poor and needy. For example, I would much rather teach than spend time in a soup kitchen. But, I have a friend who operates a Christian homeless shelter that effectively gives out food and clothing to a large number of people. I can send him money.
In conclusion, if the Book of James drives home one point, it may be this point. “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” James 2:14-17. Therefore, let us look for more and better ways to “help the poor and needy” and do it and encourage others to also do it.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 