Turn Your Eyes, Open Your Heart

“Do not avert your eye from the needy, and give no one reason to curse you; for if in bitterness of soul some should curse you, their Creator will hear their prayer.”

Sirach 4 : 5-6

Why We Must See the Needy

In the quiet moments, we often seek wisdom from old books. One of these, called Sirach, teaches us how to live well.

Today, we look at two verses that say: don’t ignore the poor, because if they get upset and curse you, God will hear them!

These simple words remind us that we’re all connected. When we ignore someone’s pain, we hurt them and risk making God angry. Throughout the Bible, we see how God cares for the suffering. He helped the Israelites escape slavery and told us to care for the poor just like we care for ourselves.

Ignoring the needy isn’t just forgetting them; it’s choosing our comfort over their well-being. Sirach warns that when someone cries out in bitterness, God hears their pain.

This idea of God listening to the suffering is important in many religions. In the Bible, God hears the cries of the Israelites and frees them. Jesus teaches us to help the poor and says that helping them is like helping him.

To be truly good people, we must not only hear the cries of the needy but also help them. This means offering a hand, a listening ear, and a caring heart. It means fighting for justice and changing systems that hurt people. We must remember that our happiness is linked to the happiness of others.

So, let’s not ignore the needy. Let’s meet their eyes with kindness and action. By doing this, we open ourselves to God’s blessings and find true happiness.

Some resources to learn more

Books: “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown, “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman, “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America” by Barbara Ehrenreich

Websites: World Food Programme (https://www.wfp.org/), Habitat for Humanity (https://www.habitat.org/)

Visit Rise&Inspire for more inspiration

Tags

# how to live well

# God will hear them!

# God cares for the suffering

🌷Every morning, I am blessed with an inspiring wake-up call from His Excellency, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Selvister Ponnumuthan, the Bishop of Punalur in Kerala, India. Today’s blog post draws inspiration from the beautiful verses he shared in his morning message.