“Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy.” Ezekiel 16:9
There has been a lot of talk over the years about the importance of providing humanitarian aid for those less fortunate than ourselves, especially those overseas. There are so many who could benefit from our “excess” if we would just open our eyes, ears, and hearts and willingly share our resources. But there is a different kind of “neediness” that is oppressing the world today-one that is rapidly spreading even throughout the wealthiest and most privileged nations.
All over the world people are suffering from spiritual hunger. They have no “bread.” Christ, the “bread of life,” the Living Word of God, is a stranger to them.
Yet, never in the history of the world have entire nations had more access to scripture and biblical teaching than now. Bibles are sold in practically every bookstore in America and Christian authors, speakers, singers, and songwriters are free to proclaim their faith. But in spite of this surplus of written, spoken, and sung “words of truth,” the need for light and life is still there. Truth is “stumbling in the streets” (Isa 59:14) and people are “wasting away” for lack of spiritual and emotional sustenance.
The evidence is all around us. Depression is becoming the “norm” and many are resorting to things like drugs, self-mutilation, eating disorders, and suicide to escape the hopelessness and emptiness they feel.
What will it take for this to change? Do we need more churches, Christian speakers, singers, and self-help books? No. What we need is an awakening of the hearts of those who profess to know Christ. We need the churches that already exist to be filled fresh and new with the light and life of the Savior of the world. If everyone who professes to know God seeks to do His will namely, to make sure the “hungry” have food, the “thirsty” find living water, the “naked” are clothed (with the righteousness of God), and begin keeping their lives “unstained” by the world-many human hearts will be revived and their lives restored to their Creator.
The only remedy for this broken and needy world is the living Christ living and loving through His people.
Open our eyes, Lord, to the spiritual needs around us.
“Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free . . .
“Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
“Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
“Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday.
“And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will raise up the age–old foundations; and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell. ~Isaiah 58:6-12
