A SOFT SPOT FOR THE POOR
"Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days."
James 5:3 (NKJV)
This passage of the Bible reveals a strong spiritual principle which
a lot of believers are oblivious of. Some people, including the believers, are in misery because of the violation of this principle. The passage says: "YOUR GOLD AND SILVER ARE CORRODED, AND THEIR CORROSION WILL BE A WITNESS AGAINST YOU AND WILL EAT YOUR FLESH LIKE FIRE. YOU HAVE HEAPED UP TREASURE IN THE LAST
DAYS" (James 5:3).
The passage is simply addressing those who have falsely denied the poor, or their workers, or whoever their wages or their rights.
One of the spiritual principles is that if you unjustly taken something from someone or you denied them their wages, if the person or people
cried to God, He would fight for them—avenge them on you. God hates
poverty, He does not want His sons or daughters to live in penury. This is the reason why He has a soft spot for the poor—God would not want the poor to be maltreated or be denied their rights.
If you mistreated the poor, or those who work for you, and they cried to God, He will fight for them:
25 “IF YOU LEND MONEY TO ANY OF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE POOR AMONG YOU, YOU SHALL NOT BE LIKE A MONEY LENDER TO HIM; YOU SHALL NOT CHARGE HIM INTEREST.
26 If YOU EVER TAKE YOUR neighbour’s GARMENT AS A PLEDGE, YOU SHALL RETURN IT TO HIM BEFORE THE SUN GOES DOWN.
27 FOR THAT IS HIS ONLY COVERING, IT IS HIS GARMENT FOR HIS SKIN. WHAT WILL HE SLEEP IN? AND it WILL BE THAT WHEN HE CRIES TO ME, I WILL HEAR, FOR I AM GRACIOUS."
Exodus 22:25-27 (NKJV)
READ: Leviticus 19:13; 25:35-42
Whatever you supposed to give to whoever in need, either their wages
or salaries or you bought something from them or whatever, make sure
you are not owing them or hold back their wages (Leviticus 19:13; James 5:4). Those who are employers of labour should pay attention to this passage of the Bible. If you did owe them and they cry to God, some terrible things may happen to your establishment; in fact, you may go bankrupt:
"YOU SHALL NOT CHEAT YOUR NEIGHBOR, NOR ROB HIM. THE WAGES OF HIM WHO IS HIRED SHALL NOT REMAIN WITH YOU ALL NIGHT UNTIL MORNING" (Leviticus 19:13 NKJV).
If you are owing someone, or what belongs to someone is unlawfully
withheld by you, you may discover that things in your home or establishment started developing faults—you begin to experience the operations of devourers.
Things would be getting spoilt in your home or business place, you may have to be spending more money on your cars, and whatever belongs to you. You may have to be spending more money on the hospital bills, both on your immediate family or those who identify with you. Different unforeseen circumstances would be happening that you would have to be spending money on. If you are having such signs, as mentioned above, it could be that you are holding in your hand what belongs to someone or people.
If you looked at the passage, the gold and silver of the rich ones who are holding back the wages of the less privileged started corroding. Usually, gold and silver do not corrode. But the Bible says: the corrosion of those treasures is a witness against the rich or those who are oppressing the less privileged ones.
The next verse, James 5:4, says:
" INDEED, THE WAGES OF THE LABORERS WHO MOWED YOUR
FIELDS , WHICH YOU KEPT BACK BY FRAUD, CRY OUT; AND THE CRIES OF THE REAPERS HAVE REACHED THE EARS OF THE LORD OF SABAOTH [Hosts]"
Is there anyone's money or belongings in your custody, crying against you before God?
Is there anyone crying secretly because of what belongs to him or her which you have withheld unjustly or through fraud?
I will enjoin you to go and do a restitution, right the wrongs, for things
to be able to go well with you:
"THEN ZACCHAEUS STOOD AND SAID TO THE LORD, “LOOK, LORD, I GIVE HALF OF MY GOODS TO THE POOR; AND IF I HAVE TAKEN ANYTHING FROM ANYONE BY FALSE ACCUSATION, I RESTORE FOURFOLD" (Luke 19:8 NKJV).
This is a spiritual law and principle, if you violated it, It would work against you.
Peace.