Derek Prince - If You Don't Hear The Poor, God Will Not Hear You
This is an excerpt from: Orphans, Widows, The Poor And Oppressed
Proverbs 31 verse 20, this is the picture of the excellent wife, the model woman. And I bow down before this because I've been married to two one after the other, let me add. I know what this kind of woman is, and it says amongst many other things in verse 20: She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. So she cares for the poor and the needy. She reaches out her hand, she stretches out. She goes beyond politeness or even duty, and something beyond that. And then let's take the warnings too, in Proverbs 21:13: Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be heard. Does that explain why some of our prayers are not answered because we haven't heard the cry of the poor? We haven't responded. God says, "If you don't hear that cry I won't hear your cry".
God is a very, I would say, intense God. I think that's a word that describes God. He's intense. He wants something, and He's not going to change what He wants. And then in Proverbs 28 verse 27: He who gives to the poor will not lack, But he who hides his eyes will have many curses. He who gives to the poor will not lack... Now I believe in Social Security. I thank God for it. But my confidence is not in the U.S. government, because that could go bankrupt over night and then my Social Security would be nothing but paper. But I do believe in divine social security. I believe that if I give to the poor I will not lack. I don't depend on the American government, or the British government. I depend on heaven's government.
There's a kind of social security which is dependent on the way we live. He who gives to the poor will not lack. I have a feeling, this is just a general impression... That there's coming a time in America when the bubble will burst, and this prosperity that everybody's so excited about will suddenly collapse; and I'm glad that that's not where my security rests. My security rests in the fact that I have given to the poor. I have taken in the widow and the orphan. I have cared for them, and I believe God will care for me. I'm not boasting. I'm just making a statement.
Now I'd like to show you something else about the ultimate purpose of the Lord. We're getting near the end. Just be patient. Isaiah 42 verse 4, speaking about the Lord, the Lord Jesus. You can look at the context: "He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth..." That impressed me. I realize that God has a passionate concern for justice. Injustice is intolerable to Him, and His ultimate purpose is to establish justice in all the earth. Being a good Pentecostal, I was always a little scared of a religion of works. In fact, I had a brother who wouldn't minister because of a certain mission taking up money for the poor. He refused to be identified with them, and I understand his feeling. But you see it's not scriptural, it's not scriptural. The religion that works cares for justice, cares for the poor.
In some ways I can identify more with the secular who are out for justice, than I can for the religious who do nothing. I think I've said enough. I've got one other picture I never thought I'll get through all this. You're a wonderful audience. Just hang in there. It's nearly at the end. Hosea, Joel, Amos. Now the message of Amos is God's passionate concern for social justice. You read it through. That's the theme of Amos from beginning to end.
And in Amos chapter 6, verses 3 through 6: Woe to you who put off the day of judgment, Who cause the seat of violence to come near; [Now that's not true of you and me.] Who lie on beds of ivory, Stretch out on your couches, Eat lambs from the flock And calves from the midst of the stall; Who chant to the sound of stringed instruments, And invent for yourselves musical instruments like David; Who drink wine from bowls, And anoint yourselves with the best ointments, But are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. I don't believe God has any problems with abundance. I think God normally provides abundance for us, but when we are satisfied with our abundance, when all we want is a good life and pleasure and prosperity and we are not grieved for the poor, we're not grieved for those who don't have enough, then God says, "Woe to you".