Thy Kingdom Come: A Blumhardt Reader - Plough

T H E p o o rThe Lord does not forget the cry of the poor. (Ps. 9:12)it is a good thing that we have the privilege of beingpoor. We do not have in mind only the poverty of not knowinghow we will be able to make ends meet. That, of course,is a part of it; but it is only secondary. Our truer poverty liesin our effort to achieve what God has in mind for us; it isthere that we are indeed most poor.Many people put all their effort into nonessentials. Theyconcern themselves with things near at hand, seeking tomake their own way and arrive at human joy: “Let us eat,drink, and be merry; for tomorrow we die!” It is this situationthe Bible calls “being rich.” These people, of course,are as poor as anyone is. Yet, at least superficially, they areknown as rich. In their relation to God, they act as thoughthey are rich. They gobble down every sweet that comes tohand; and when God comes with his nourishment, they arealready satisfied; they turn their backs and want nothing.Strangely enough, it is these poorest of the poor who arecalled rich; and it is another group who is known as poor.These others have their minds set on something better, somethinghigher; and in their striving they have concluded thatultimately man can be helped only by God himself. Whena person arrives at this realization, he has made himself anutter pauper. No self-help here! If everything depends upon215