Well just in case your interested, Dolphins sleep with one eye open because half their brain needs to be awake due to the fact that they don't breathe automatically therefore they have to remain conscious in order to breathe. So, when the right half of the brain is breathing the left eye is open. Then they alternate which side of the brain sleeps. When they are sleeping they lay motionless, and remain near the waters surface. Several other sea creatures have similar sleep patterns, like the beluga whales. Who knew?
That must be where the term speaking with half a brain must have come from. Ha!
On the lighter side, How do lawyers say good bye? We'll be suing ya!
Friday 6/16
Prov. 31:20 "She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arm as to the needy."
Now you maybe asking what is the difference between the poor & the needy? That's a great question.
The poor are those ones who due to inadequacies are financially challenged. Such as blind, paralyzed,
etc.
While the needy are those who temporarily are set back from resources, but will in time recover.
God is telling us that those who have prospered should aide both of these groups of people.
You may ask how do we know this to be true? Several places in the Bible we see this factor spoken of.
Deut. 15:11 "There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to
share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need."
Job 31:16-20 "Have I refused to help the poor, or crushed the hopes of widows? Have I been stingy with
my food and refused to share it with orphans? No, from childhood I have cared for
orphans like a father, all my life ... I have cared for widows, ... clothed the homeless."
(Here Job/God recognized this as an honorable thing to do)
Prov. 22:9 "Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor."
Rom. 12:13 "When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice
hospitality."
Eph. 4:28 "If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give
generously to others in need."
Heb. 13:16 "And don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that
please God."
One thing that I have noticed is that people who work hard have the tendency to be vulnerable to look down on those who don't or are unable to do so. However, God teaches us to not do that through the virtuous woman. In fact He tells us rather to give assistance/compassion to the poor.
In fact, God tells us to work hard not in order to get rich, but rather to provide for our family, and secondly, in order to share some of these extra resources to the needy. In several places in the Bible we are encouraged not to cast our pearls (our valuables) to the swine (those who wouldn't see this as beneficial, but rather tramp on it.
So, God's viewpoint is
HELP the needy, those who through inadvertent events in their lives are in need of assistance.
GIVE aide to the informed, In fact, in several instances in the Bible, people with excess were encouraged
to help the poor to gain a way to provide for themselves. In Hebrew times farmer would provide goods
for them to barter for (blind able man to partner with a paralyzed seeing man) both to sell crops
provided for them to sell & thereby provide a way to care for each other and develop self value.
The Temple was meant to share in this task, however, they took the attitude of looking down on these in need, as though this ailment was actually God's punishment on them. Therefore, this verse & the other verse I shared earlier were brought out to defend these dowtroden people.
So Go With God my dear one, for here again we see the gracious hand of God towards those who society would throw out as condemned, repulsed, etc. He never looks down on man, regards them useless, but rather sees each of us as redeemable regardless of our failures, whether they are deserving or unintentional. Praise Be To Our God, for His mercies are new everyday, even every moment. Rest in His gracious touch in your life, my dear ones.