We are more likely to follow God’s program when we truly understand:God’s Heart: He is full of compassion and completely just and therefore detests oppression. From the beginning God directed His people toward a more equitable living. In the Old Testament we read of specific programs He instituted as a check and balance system to keep the rich from getting too rich at the expense of others — Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:8-55), the Sabbatical Year (Lev. 25:1-7), the Law of Tithing (Deut. 14:28-29) and Gleaning (Deut. 24:19-22).God’s Ownership: All things belong to God so we ought not to hold on too tightly. We should, instead, participate with God in meeting people’s needs with resources that in reality belong to Him and not us.According to Luke 4:18-19, Jesus’ mission was to free the oppressed and heal the blind. He wanted to see changed lives as a result of His help. Jesus had a balance between meeting physical and spiritual needs. He met physical needs but He also preached and taught truth (Matt. 4:23).Meeting physical needs is the easy part. Addressing the spiritual core issues of the heart is another matter. Jesus did both (Matt. 9:1-6). He took care of the physical to authenticate the spiritual. Since we don’t have the advantage of Jesus’ omniscience to get right to the core, we must go through a process of discerning the real needs. We need a filtering system. Prayer is a major part of the process.

• God’s attitude toward the poor and oppressed (Ps. 10:14, 17-18; 35:10; 140:12; 146:5-9 Prov. 22:2, 22-23)
• doing for the poor likened to doing for God (Prov. 17:5; 19:17; Matt. 25:31-46)
• modeled in the Old Testament (Lev. 25:1-55; Deut. 14:28-29; 24:19-21)
• Jesus’ example (2 Cor. 8:9; Phil. 2:5-7)
• early church example (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-37; 5:1-11; 6:1-7)

The Program

• voluntary not compulsory (2 Cor. 8:3-4)
• priority to household of faith (Gal. 6:10; 1 Jn. 3:17)
• justice (equality) not mere charity (Prov. 29:7; 31:8-9; 2 Cor. 8:13-15)
• inter-church assistance as well as inner-church (2 Cor. 8:1-4; 9:12-15)

The Process

• not merely applying quick fixes but assistance to help people do better (Prov. 3:13-14)
• not merely addressing felt needs but getting beyond to the core issues (Matt. 9:1-5)
• not merely providing resources but fulfilling the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20)
• not merely doing out of duty but loving those being helped (1 Cor. 13:3)

The Product

• reap what you sow (Gal. 6:7-10; Prov. 11:24-25; 21:13; 22:9; 28:27; Matt. 5:7)
• greater equality (Acts 2:44-45; 4:34-35)
• God is honored (Prov. 14:31)

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: here am I. … then your light will rise in the darkness … You will be like a well-watered garden; like a spring whose waters never fail.”(Isa. 58:6-11)