Remembering the poor

I was reading Matthew 6, where I came across the 3 "when's" of the Christian life:
i. When thou givest alms ...
ii. When thou prayest ...
iii. When ye fast ...

These are not the "if's" of Christian life but the "when's", meaning that every child of God needs to practise them.

Most of us are familiar with the second and third "when's", but what struck me was the first: remembering the poor. I realize that God has a very special place in His heart for the poor. Proverbs 19:17 says, "He who gives to the poor lends to the Lord." I guess what the Lord is implying here is that He keeps account of the good deeds we do for the poor. In Acts 10:4, the Lord's testimony of Cornelius was that his alms came up as a memorial before God.

Second Corinthians 9:9 says, "He has given to the poor and His righteousness endures forever."

Practical wisdom

I was just sitting with my Bible and some thoughts crossed my mind regarding the verses I was reading. Nowadays, I write down these meditations in a book so I will not lose them. These thoughts/meditations have blessed me and so I thought I would post them here in the hope that they would bless someone else.

"I have seen the end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad. O how I love thy law! it is my meditation all the day long." Ps. 119:96,97

My meditation tonight was on Mathew 10:23, "When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another." Wow! I have read this verse several times before, but this time it caught my attention. I realize there is nothing seemingly supernatural or profound in this statement. Just plain, practical wisdom. Many times, it is this practical, God-given wisdom that will get us through life.

I was reminded of Paul in 2 Cor. 11:33, "And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall and escaped his hands."