Then
the king will say to those on his right, “My father has blessed you!
Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world
was created. When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. (Matthew 25:34-35a)
Today I am taking a break from my usual comedic accounts to talk about
why I am running a marathon. Believe me it was not on my bucket list.
We (in North America) take water for granted. It's ubiquitous. We buy cases of it; fill our pools with it; water our lawns with it; shower and bathe with it; wash our cars, houses, and dogs with it; use it to cook our food; and use it to make coffee and tea. Even the poorest Americans have access to clean water. This isn't the case in many parts of the world.
"In the developing world, women and children walk an average of six kilometers [about 3mi] to collect water for their families.
The journey to and from the nearest well takes hours.
And much of it is spent carrying a heavy jug of water.
A majority of these women and children’s time is spent getting water.
They could otherwise be working at their house, building a small
business, or going to school. But instead, the lack of clean water
causes poverty to persist.
Poverty isn’t the only result of inaccessible water. The water that women and children walk hours to get is often dirty and diseased.
Families drink dirty water because it is all they have. They need it
to survive. But dirty water and poor sanitation are also killing them.
- 4,200 children die each day from dirty water.
- Infections from poor sanitation and hygiene affect 2 billion people.
- 3.75 million people die each year from water-related causes.
It’s clear. When a person doesn’t have clean water or a latrine,
the bacteria in dirty water and sewage shortens their life span, threatens babies’ survival, and causes diseases like malaria." (from
Why Clean Water?)
4,200 children a day. Think about that. Seriously, think about it.
We can change that.
That is why I am running a marathon. But I need your help. Running a marathon does not make clean water magically appear in villages across the world. It takes work and materials to build pipelines and dig wells. These things cost money. My goal is to raise $1,310. That's where you come in. You can help me reach my goal by donating $50.
$50 provides clean water for one person. Think about that. Your $50 can change the world -- children living instead of dying from disease, children getting an education, and families able to come out of poverty. If you set aside $1.70 each day for just one month you would have enough to donate $50. Or, if you wanted to stretch it out until the last minute, 26¢ a day from April 1st to October 12th.
Donating is easy. You can donate by going
here and clicking on the "make a donation link" or you can mail me a check made out to World Vision (email me at palanrivas@gmail.com for my address).
I'll leave you with these few thoughts from the Bible:
God's Heart for the Poor
Deuteronomy 26:6-9 "But the Egyptians mistreated us and
made us suffer, putting us to hard labor. Then we cried out to the
LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our
misery, toil and oppression. So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a
mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with
miraculous signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us
this land, a land flowing with milk and honey."
Job 5:8-16 "But if it were I, I would appeal to God; I
would lay my cause before him. He performs wonders that cannot be
fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. He bestows rain on the
earth; he sends water upon the countryside. The lowly he sets on high,
and those who mourn are lifted to safety. He thwarts the plans of the
crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. He catches the wise in
their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away. Darkness
comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night. He
saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the
clutches of the powerful. So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts
its mouth."
Job 34:17-19 "Can he who hates justice govern? Will
you condemn the just and mighty One? Is he not the One who says to
kings, 'You are worthless,' and to nobles, 'You are wicked,' who shows
no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for
they are all the work of his hands?”
Psalm 10:14 “But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.”
Psalm 12:5 “‘Because of the oppression of the weak and
the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,’ says the LORD. I will
protect them from those who malign them."
Psalm 140:12 “I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.”
Isaiah 25:4 “You have been a refuge for the poor, a
refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a
shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm
driving against a wall.”
Isaiah 41:17 “The poor and needy search for water, but
there is none; tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will
answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.”
Jeremiah 9:23-24 “This is what the LORD says: ‘Let not
the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about
this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who
exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I
delight,’ declares the LORD.”
Amos 5:24 “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
Luke 1:52-53 “He has brought down rulers from their
thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good
things but has sent the rich away empty.”
Luke 4:16-21 “He went to Nazareth, where he had been
brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was
his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah
was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach
good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the
prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.’ Then he rolled up the
scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of
everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying
to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’"
Luke 6:20-21 “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours
in the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be
satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.”
Luke 7:22 “So he replied to the messengers, ‘Go back
and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive
sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear,
the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.’”
James 2:5 “Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen
those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to
inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?”
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God's Commands Concerning the Poor
Deuteronomy 15:7 “If there is a poor man among your
brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is
giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor
brother.”
Deuteronomy 26:12 “When you have finished setting aside
a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe,
you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the
widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.”
Leviticus 19:9-10 “'When you reap the harvest of your
land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the
gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time
or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the
alien. I am the LORD your God.”
Nehemiah 5
Proverbs 31:8 “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”
Isaiah 1:16-17 “Wash and make yourselves clean. Take
your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!
Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the
fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”
Isaiah 58:6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have
chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the
yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to
share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with
shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away
from your own flesh and blood?”
Jeremiah 22:3 “This is what the LORD says: Do what is
just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has
been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or
the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.”
Jeremiah 22:13-17 "Woe to him who builds his palace by
unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen
work for nothing, not paying them for their labor. He says, ‘I will
build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.’ So he makes
large windows in it, panels it with cedar and decorates it in red. Does
it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father
have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well
with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went
well. Is that not what it means to know me?’ declares the LORD. But
your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding
innocent blood and on oppression and extortion."
Matthew 5:42 “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
Luke 3:11 “John answered, ‘the man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.’"
Luke 12:33 "Sell your possessions and give to the poor.
Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in
heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth
destroys."
2 Corinthians 9:6-9 “Remember this: Whoever sows
sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will
also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his
heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so
that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will
abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad
his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’"
1 Timothy 6:18 “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”
James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as
pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their
distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
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Blessings on Those Who Serve the Poor
Deuteronomy 15:10 “Give generously to him and do so
without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will
bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.”
Psalm 41:1 “Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.”
Proverbs 19:17 “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.”
Proverbs 22:9 “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.”
Isaiah 58:10 "And if you spend yourselves in behalf of
the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will
rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday."
Jeremiah 7:5-7 "If you really change your ways and your
actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the
alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in
this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I
will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers
for ever and ever."
Matthew 19:20 “‘All these I have kept,’ the young man
said. ‘What do I still lack?’ Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be
perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’"
Luke 14:12-14 "Then Jesus said to his host, ‘When you
give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or
relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back
and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the
poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.
Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection
of the righteous.’"
Luke 12:33-34 "Sell your possessions and give to the
poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure
in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no
moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be
also."
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Why One Should Not Neglect Serving the Poor
Exodus 22:21-27 “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress
him, for you were aliens in Egypt. Do not take advantage of a widow or
an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear
their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the
sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless. If
you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be
like a moneylender; charge him no interest. If you take your neighbor's
cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset, because his cloak is the
only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? When
he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.”
Proverbs 14:31 “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”
Isaiah 10:1-3 " Woe to those who make unjust laws, to
those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights
and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows
their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of
reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for
help? Where will you leave your riches?”
Jeremiah 5:28 “‘Their evil deeds have no limit; they do
not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the
rights of the poor. ‘Should I not punish them for this?’ declares the
LORD. ‘Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?’”
Ezekiel 16:49 "Now this was the sin of your sister
Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned;
they did not help the poor and needy.”
Ezekiel 22:29, 31 "The people of the land practice
extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and
mistreat the alien, denying them justice. So I will pour out my wrath
on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own
heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD."
Amos 5:12 “For I know how many are your offenses and
how great your sins. You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you
deprive the poor of justice in the courts.”
Luke 6:24 " But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort."
Luke 16:19-25 "There was a rich man who was dressed in
purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was
laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what
fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his
sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to
Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where
he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus
by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and
send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
because I am in agony in this fire.' But Abraham replied, 'Son,
remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while
Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in
agony.'"
1 John 3:17 “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”
James 5:1-6 “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail
because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted,
and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded.
Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire.
You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed
to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you.
The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.
You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have
fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and
murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.”
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Biblical Attitudes for Believers Toward the Poor
Leviticus 19:15 "Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly."
Proverbs 29:7 “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.”
Matthew 6:2-4 " So when you give to the needy, do not
announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on
the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have
received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not
let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your
giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters.
Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to
the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
Luke 6:33-34 "And if you do good to those who are good
to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you
lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to
you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.”
Acts 2:44 “All the believers were together and had
everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to
anyone as he had need.”
Acts 4:32-35 “All the believers were one in heart and
mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they
shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to
testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon
them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to
time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from
the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to
anyone as he had need.”
Galatians 2:9-10 “James, Peter and John, those reputed
to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when
they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to
the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. All they asked was that we should
continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.”
Ephesians 4:28 “He who has been stealing must steal no
longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that
he may have something to share with those in need.”
1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all
kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the
faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
James 2:5 “Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen
those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to
inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?”
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God's Identification With the Poor
Proverbs 14:31 “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”
Proverbs 19:17 “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.”
2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became
poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (From World Vision's website http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/learn/g8-bibleverses)
