Proverbs - The Poor

Proverbs 21:13

Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor,

he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

The Lord wants us to be sensitive and ready to help those who are in need.  This shows a compassionate heart and a willingness to be a tool in His hand.  When we are moved to meet a need we remain in a place of compassion and sense the value of every person.   The poor are in a place where they are lacking.  If the Lord has given us a way to meet a need we must be open to filling those needs.  Stopping our ears at the cry of the poor means that we don’t even listen or attempt to understand their plight or need.  Maybe we have our own high-minded ideas of why someone is poor and what they need to do to change it.  We should take each case individually and not stop our ears at their cry.  We should listen and seek the Lord for how to respond.  This verse tells us that if we stop our ears, then we will not be heard.  There would be double standard and we would find out that if we are not willing to listen, it is hard to find others who will listen to us as well.  A tenderness of heart is very important in order to cultivate other relationships filled with this type of compassion and concern.