“Open Wide Your Hand”

Monday, October 14, 2024

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 15

“…there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor in your land.’” (Deuteronomy 15.11)

YHWH intended to bless Israel richly, but that didn’t mean hardship wouldn’t happen to some. With the passing of time, some would become poor. Moses didn’t qualify the nature of the poor brother’s circumstances. But that wasn’t the point; he commanded the nation of Israel to see his brother and ‘lend him sufficient to his need, whatever it may be’ (Deuteronomy 15.8). This had nothing to do with worthiness and everything to do with honoring God’s blessing towards those who had prospered (Deuteronomy 15.10). This expectation carries through today for us as an expression of love: ‘if anyone has the world’s goods and see his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?’ (1 John 3.17)

This month we received a request from brethren in South Africa for $30,000 so they could secure food in the coming months. As you know, their conditions are desperate and if they don’t get rain, outside help is their only hope for eating. Also, this month hurricanes have devasted the east coast, leaving many people homeless. I’ve already seen several pages listing the mountain of needs our brethren have in both Florida and North Carolina. Seasons like this make us acutely aware of these circumstances; but needs like this are everywhere. Last week I spoke with an Indian missionary who runs an orphanage. He is trying to save children from the sex trade and life on the streets, but the financial burden continues to grow. He told me 50-60 kids a week show up at his compound, but he simply doesn’t have the resources to help them all. When I travel to Ethiopia, I see brethren living with little to nothing, lacking adequate drinking water and clothing. We help them as much as we can, but the needs are constant.

The fact is negative circumstances exist in this life and often affect the people of God. We may not be able to help them all, but like God instructed Israel, we must have a mind and heart to ‘open wide our hands.’

We are incredibly blessed in our nation and our comforts can blind us to the daily struggles many face. But worse it can obscure the purposes we have been given such abundance. Frankly speaking, many things we consider necessary are frivolous to most of the world. But the struggle does not only manifest in abundance. Our hearts selfishly desire to maintain what belongs to us. That’s why Moses would warn Israel not to have ‘unworthy thoughts’ (Deuteronomy 15.9) that kept them from helping others in need. I’m not suggesting we should feel badly about our wealth or choose to live destitute, but God always gives with expectation. If we are to be holy as God is holy, we must train our mind to seek first the good of others with what God has given to us.

I was proud to see the gifts many of you made for our brethren in South Africa, and I would encourage you to develop and grow in this practice of serving others. It is an expression of holiness to think about and serve the needs of others in their distress. There will always be poor among us; and it is a Divine blessing to have opportunity to serve them in their needs.

“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3.18)

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