Tiny Devotional for Wednesday, 02-17-2021

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, even though the focaccia didn’t rise, it’s still good.

One who mocks the poor taunts his Maker;

One who rejoices at disaster will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 17:5, NASB

 

Confession: I have never been poor.

There have been a very few times when I didn’t have ANY money, and a LOT of times when I didn’t have ENOUGH money. One time I got so far behind on my house payment, that the bank was about to foreclose. But NONE of that was being poor! Why not? 

Well, in times of ZERO money, which was in my student days, I either had food in the fridge, or somebody’s house I could go to for a meal. 

AND I HAD A FRIDGE! So: not poor.

The times of not ENOUGH money were more frequent, and had many causes, and weren’t at all pleasant. But still: not poor.

My definition of being poor is no money, no food, no resources to fall back on, and 

NO PROSPECTS FOR IMPROVEMENT.

If you mock a person in those circumstances, you are being cruel. That includes the ancient jokes about ‘welfare Cadillacs.’ Those never existed in the form implied; the only people who prospered from welfare fraud were white-collar types. 

I could discuss reasons why some find it amusing to spread myths/jokes about the wastrel poor. I won’t, because I’d get mad, and the doc would wonder at my blood pressure. 

Am I actually going to let this verse stand on its’ own, without offering my support? How will people change, if I say nothing?

God says “Don’t do it.” That SHOULD be reason enough, shouldn’t it?

Peace be on your household.