BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE KIND TO THE POOR AND THE WEAK

Proclamation:

“Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; The Lord delivers them in times of trouble.  The Lord protects and preserves them, they are counted among the blessed in the land … The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.”  Psalm 41:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Most of The Bible scholars think that David was making predictive references to Jesus, The Christ, in this psalm.  The reference to Judas Iscariot, one He trusted and shared bread with that turned against Him, (Psalm 41:9) is considered a prophecy. (John 13:18)  However, literally David’s friend and counsellor Ahithophel turned on him and counselled Absalom against him. (2 Samuel 16:21)  Additionally, the original Biblical Hebrew word which has been translated to mean weak or poor was written in the singular form.  This is also thought to be a reference to Jesus, The Christ.  Jesus, though He was rich, became poor for our sakes. (2 Corinthians 8:9)  Blessed is the man who has compassion for, and helps the poor and the weak, for he that is kind to the poor lends to The Lord and He will repay or reward him for doing so. (Proverbs 19:17)  Jesus said as you have done it to the least of these people, you have done it to Me. (Matthew 25:35-40)  The Lord protects and preserves the poor and weak believers, He is a refuge for them in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9)

Application:

We are blessed in order to be a blessing to others.  Those of us who have compassion for the less fortunate, the poor, the weak, the hungry, and the sick, will be blessed.  Giving to the poor and the hungry, helping the weak, and visiting the sick demonstrates Christ-like behavior and our love for our fellow man.  The Lord God protects and provides for them.  If we allow The Holy Spirit of God to use us to be a blessing to them, then we ourselves will be blessed. (Proverbs 11:25)

ENTERTAINING ANGELS UNAWARE

Proclamation:

“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.  Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

Most Bible scholars agree that the human author of The Bible Book of Hebrews is unknown.  There are those, however, who attribute it to the Apostle Paul.  Regardless of the human authorship, these words were clearly written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God to the believers in early church.  After encouraging them to continue to love one another, the author exhorts them to also be kind to strangers.  He tells them that some strangers are angels and they may have entertained angels without being aware of it.

Application:

When we think about angels, we usually visualize small or adult size, people-like creatures with very large or small wings.  But not all angels have wings.  Some angels are walking around with us here on earth.  Angels are messengers from God.  Smith's Bible Dictionary defines ‘angels’ as "whoever or whatever God uses to do His will."  Pastors are frequently called the angel of a local church.  Since angels can look like regular people, we should be very careful in how we treat people, especially strangers, as they may be an angel that is unknown to us.  We don't want to miss out on a blessing because we mistreated one of God's angels.  God may take personally our mistreating one of His messengers.  "... as you have done it unto one of these my brethren, you have done it unto Me." (Matthew 25:40)  As believers we need to be careful how we treat strangers and other people in general.  Be kind to strangers, they may be angels with a message or a blessing from God.

Give Thanks To God In All Situations

"And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.  Be joyful always;  pray continually;  give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 (NIV)

Under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, the Apostle Paul wrote these words in his letter to the believers in Thessaloniki.  Paul was providing them with practical instructions for Christian living.  He told them how they ought to walk and talk in order to please God.  He said that they should comfort, encourage, help, and warn one another.  He also said that whatever they were going through, they should be joyful because it was part of God's permissive will for them. 

These words are as relevant for believers today as they were for those believers then.  We need to be reminded that we are children of God (Galatians 3:26), and that we are in this world but not of it. (John 8:23)  We are to behave in a Christ-like manner, and we are to help one another.  We are even to love our enemies and haters (Matthew 5:44), and kill them with kindness. (Romans 12:20)  Whatever our current situation, it is only a test and part of God's permissive will for us. (James 1:12)  So, let us count all things as joyful. (James 1:2)  Let us pray sincerely and frequently (James 5:16), and let us give thanks to God for everything. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Be Kind To People

"They replied, 'If you will be kind to these people and please them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants." 2 Chronicles 10:7 (NIV)  The King James versions reads: "And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever."

This verse, penned by the Prophet Ezra under the divine inspiration of The Holy Spirit of God, reflects the advice which the old wise men, who had been with King Solomon during his good times, gave to the new King Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.  Their advice was for him to be kind to the people, speak good words to them, and give them a favorable reply.  In his old age, Solomon had turned from God, his wisdom failed him, he wasted his vast treasures, and he burdened the people with taxes and servitude.  After Solomon's death the people asked Rehoboam to ease their burdens. (2 Chronicles 10:4)  

A kind word can turn away wrath. (Proverbs 15:1)  A kind word can comfort and encourage. (Proverbs 12:25)  As believers, we are taught to be kind to one another. (Ephesians 4:24)  Kindness is part of the fruit of The Holy Spirit of God which should be displayed by all believers. (Galatians 5:22-23)  It is good advice, and it is Godly advice, to be kind to others.  It is not good to ignore wise counsel or The Word of God.  Those who are not kind to, and who 
mistreat the people of God, will incur the wrath of God. (Deuteronomy 32:35 and Romans 12:19)  We should treat people the way that we would like for them to treat us. (Matthew 7:12)