The Heart of God Towards the Poor and SufferingSample

The good king Josiah had a wicked son Jehoiakim. When Jehoiakim became king, he built a fabulous palace by oppressing his workers. As a result, God sent the prophet Jeremiah to announce a terrible punishment. The most interesting part of the passage, however, is a short aside on this evil king’s good father: “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.” Josiah didn’t do anything to oppress the poor, like his son. What God commended him for was his desire to do something on their behalf. This good king saw the need in Israel and did something about it; he took up their cause. To know God is to know His people and to love them as you love Him. To know God is to not merely sit on the sidelines of religion, but to take an active role on the field of faith. If your greatest desire is to know God, then your desire should be to take action in defending the cause of the poor. Read a testimony of how God used willing volunteers who went above and beyond to serve a homeless family at an event, and how God changed that family’s life forever. It was these volunteers who understood the heart of God for others and did something about it: Tony, a volunteer at a community outreach, couldn’t stop his eyes from filling with emotion as he recounted how he moved his wife and three children to Atlanta more than five years ago to establish a construction business with partners. Over time though, he says, his partners developed drug addictions that ruined the company. “Contracts stopped coming,” he says. “I couldn’t pay the mortgage...couldn’t feed my family. I lost my house. We ended up living in our car.” Tony heard that Convoy of Hope was distributing free groceries and decided to attend the outreach. “People were genuinely concerned about our situation and wanting to help,” recalls Tony. “The Lord blessed us through the people of Convoy of Hope.” A group of volunteers at the outreach went above and beyond their duties to help Tony find a job, a home and some furnishings. They also helped enroll his children into school. “At the outreach my life completely changed,” he says. There is something in your hand that you can use for others. How are you taking up the cause of the poor?