Psalm 82:3-4 “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
Principle: God cares about the needy, and He calls out to whoever will obey to support and help them.
I met a man who understood this verse to be a personal call from God. Attorney Robert Anderson in Orange County personalized the passage. Bob first got serious about the Lord when attending law school. After passing the bar exam, he waited on the Lord in prayer for almost nine months, asking Him if indeed He wanted him to practice law. God said “yes” and spoke to his heart from Psalm 82. Bob answered that call by giving free and low-cost legal representation to the poor and needy through an organization that he founded, the Christian Legal Society (Orange County chapter). To see how free legal work ministers to the poor and needy in spiritual ways visit their website to read the stories of people who have been helped (www.christianlegalsociety.org).
Bob now runs his own legal aid firm that continues the practices he started at CLS. http://robertandersonlaw.com/my_practice/
You do not have to be a lawyer to help the poor and needy. Give of your time, your talents and your treasure. If you are in Orange County, California, the Christian Legal Society office needs volunteers. If you are outside the Southern California area, call the CLS and ask if there is a similar ministry in your area.
The God of justice loves it when you do work on behalf of this segment of our population. Several people I know who regularly and systematically help the weak and needy say that it is a joyful experience.
Future payback is guaranteed because God does that. However, we need to do what is good, right, and true simply because that is where personal meaning and satisfaction are to be found.
Discussion:
1. When were you “needy” and someone reached out to help you in the name of Jesus?
2. Who has God put in your life who needs your help today?
3. Reach out and help them … it’ll help you both!
