It is hard to escape the fact that here in America , society has determined that we "need" certain things to no longer be considered poor. I remember reading an article by Mrs. Debi Pearl, called "Corny, 10 Different Ways" , and thought of how a mother could be happy in feeding her children what many people consider to be animal feed.
In many ways, our society determines what makes a person poor by the amount of money that they bring into their household, or the number of "things" that they have. It is a common occurrence for our family to be confronted with crass comments about our standard of living, because we try very hard not to live beyond our means. What these dear people do not understand is that we do not see ourselves as poor!
Is a man rich if he has beautiful carpeting? Is a family "well off" if they have a brand new car (or 2 +) in the driveway? Is a person wealthy because they shop without care for the amount of money that they spend?
Our family defines wealth in a much different way.
We are not poor, because we have the Lord. He provides for our every need. Our needs may be met in ways that we had never imagined, and in timing that we might not have anticipated- but they have always been met.
The longings of our souls are filled by the love of our God, whom has granted us more provision than our simple hearts can hold. He is generous and kind, merciful and faithful. Not only has He given us his love letter (Bible) to read, but He has gifted us with His Holy Spirit to live within us.
I would say that we are very rich indeed. We have enough food in our bellies, and are protected from the elements. We are held safe in a way that no storm, accident, or murderer can steal from us. Our Father is the Almighty King, the maker of heaven and earth. He has made a place for us with Him, a home that never needs flood insurance nor bars on the windows. We are beloved of the One who has authored life, and He has given to us a life that will live on beyond these mortal bodies. That is surely enough. How could a person believe themselves to be poor when they have such blessings? The worst that anyone could ever do to us is to hurry us along, where our Lord and loved ones await.
That's not to say that there are not people who are hungry and cold. There will always be people for whom we (as the CHURCH) are to care for. Not only are we blessed with the opportunity to provide for physical needs as best we can (even if it is "feed" corn), but we are blessed with the opportunity to help the truly poor. We are told to go and share the gospel with those who do not know the Lord. These people truly are poor and starving
blessed 