Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – If – Proverbs 21:13 – Shuts His Ears – Growing As Disciples

If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered. Proverbs 21:13 (NIV)

Cry Of The Poor

Are you listening? Are you watching? Are you paying attention to the needs of those around you? It is easy to ignore those who are poor. Nothing will stop you from walking right on by those who are in need. Are you seeing and hearing the cries of the poor? Those are tough questions. Why is that? I can’t honestly say a wholehearted yes to any one of your questions. I probably haven’t been listening. I’m sure that I have not been watching. The poor and needy have become invisible to me. I don’t mean to walk right on by those in need. I want to hear and respond to the cries of the poor. That’s all I wanted to hear from you. 

Since you have said that you want to hear and respond to the needs of the poor you will be tested. How will I be tested? I will make it so you will be able to hear the cries and see the needs of the poor. You will no longer be able to walk blindly by those in need. You will no longer be deaf to the cries of the poor. The poor and needy are all around you. Those who need help are both near and far. Once you hear and once you see you will be tested. How will I be tested? Do you really need to ask that question? I suppose not. The test will be in how I respond to what I see and hear. That’s right. The question you will ask me is, “Will I hear and answer the cries of the poor?” That’s right. You want to know if I will help those who are in need. Yes, I do. You want me to know how I will respond to what you allow me to see and hear. Yes, I do.

I will tell you right now how I will respond to your questions. I will give my answer in advance of your test. I will make my answer firm and sure right now. I will not waver. I will not shrink back. I will not change my mind. I will hear and respond to the cries of the poor. I will help those in need. Why will you do this? I want to become like you. I want to love like you loved. I want to give like you gave. I want to do all that you would do for all those who are in need. I will do whatever you are calling me to do for you. That will be very good.

Lord, I will not shut my ears to hearing and responding to the cries of the poor. I will listen carefully and respond enthusiastically to those who are in need. Use me to help others. Help me to love like you loved and give like you gave. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

If – Proverbs 21-13 – Shuts His Ears – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com