The Ash Heap
“He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap." (Psalm 113:7)
Well when does He do this? I think many people miss the importance of how short this life is in relation to the eternal life we are promised after the resurrection. Jesus told his followers that “the poor you will always have with you”. Some never rise above poverty in this life and remain in need all of their lives. I cringe at the poverty in Bangladesh and other places in the world and some people live all their lives trapped by it. Some deal with pain all their lives...our hearts break for those who bear these burdens.
But God has promised to “raise” the poor and “lift” the needy so He will do it, if not in this life, then in the next. HE MUST if He is God and can be trusted to do what He says.
“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive… But someone will say, how are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?... it is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body…Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Corinthians 15:22-49)
Isaiah said God will do this for the poor...
"...to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord to glorify Him." (Isaiah 61:3)
Well when does He do this? I think many people miss the importance of how short this life is in relation to the eternal life we are promised after the resurrection. Jesus told his followers that “the poor you will always have with you”. Some never rise above poverty in this life and remain in need all of their lives. I cringe at the poverty in Bangladesh and other places in the world and some people live all their lives trapped by it. Some deal with pain all their lives...our hearts break for those who bear these burdens.
But God has promised to “raise” the poor and “lift” the needy so He will do it, if not in this life, then in the next. HE MUST if He is God and can be trusted to do what He says.
“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive… But someone will say, how are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?... it is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body…Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Corinthians 15:22-49)
Isaiah said God will do this for the poor...
"...to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord to glorify Him." (Isaiah 61:3)