December 3, 2011 Angels In the House?

Angels in the House?
Read Hebrews 13

Heb 13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

I HAVE always marveled at this verse. The possibility that angels may come to us in the form of humans and “test” us to see if we care for them is astounding. It has happened.
In Genesis both Abraham and Lot had the opportunity to care for and even to protect the angels that came into their presence. Why would God do this, send angels to test our desire to care for people in need?
It shows God’s great desire to care for the needy. The Bible from beginning to end has a strong message of caring for those to whom life has dealt a harsh blow. God establishes a number of rules for his people to care for and feed widows, orphans, and others in need. Jesus’ ministry, obviously, was amid the lowest classes of society. The poor are everywhere and constant.
Yes, sometimes people are lazy and make bad choices that lead to their poverty, and God will deal with them.
But there are plenty of people who have huge struggles from circumstances they can’t control. Yes, poverty is the result of difficult circumstances in a world of sin and “me first”.
God wants us to help those in need the best we can. He doesn’t want us to judge the poor—just care for them.


Pause and Consider: the reasons people are poor. Is there anything you can do to change one of those reasons?