Strengthening the Hands of the Poor and Needy

Ezekiel 16:49

"49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy."

Notice a phrase here that really stood out on the page for me; "neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy."

Often people think they are helping the needy by handing them everything they need temporarily so that they are taken care of like children for one day and then the next day they need it all over again. In my opinion, this is weakening the needy.

If we were to "strengthen the hand of the needy" we help them come off drugs, train them in a skill to be able to work and then find them a job to be able to take care of themselves. There is nothing more satisfying than earning one's own way as we make our own decisions that enhance our existence.

Hand-outs do not leave anyone with purpose and dignity, they only keep people in bondage to the whims of others.

Psalm 90:17

"17 May the kindness of the Lord our God be upon us;

And confirm for us the work of our hands;

Yes, confirm the work of our hands."

There will always be those who will not try, they remain on drugs even when offered help. They refuse to work when given an opportunity, we cannot help these people they must make the decision themselves that they want help to come out of their lifestyle before anyone will be able to help them God's Way.

Enabling people is not love, giving them the opportunity and skills to make a lifestyle change is God's way of helping others.

Those who have authentic disabilities are the ones we can help with money but even then we must help them to manage the money they are given so they will continue to have enough, not extra for frills but enough for needs.

We strengthen unsaved people with the gospel, and believers with the truth of the Scriptures so that they might learn to live by God's principles. Sadly in many church gatherings today there is more enabling going on than help from God's Word. I suspect it is because the leaders and the attendees have been silenced through intimidation not to "appear" unkind by requiring accountability.

When we are in a gathering that will not listen to God's Word or abide by it, that is the time to leave. It is impossible to be helpful when people refuse to live by the Words of Christ.

Matthew 15:7-9 "…7You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8 These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ ”

May we continually self-reflect to determine if we are walking in the light of God's Word, let us not enable others to remain in sin while elevating ourselves as the Corinthian Christians did, so proud of how tolerant of sin they were that God chastised them. He left their legacy in the Bible for all to see for all time, thankfully they corrected their sin of tolerance, unfortunately, the people of our day will not do it.