Third horseman- Famine

5When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds^a of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” (Rev. 6:5-6). 

Thoughts:  The desire for conquest brings war, and war brings famine.  This third horseman brings the plague of famine upon the earth.  The price of bread/wheat has gone up because it is scarce.  The oil and wine are precious because they are at a premium too.
     Today one in nine in our world (805 million) do not have enough food to live a healthy life.  3.1 million children die each year of malnutrition and its related symptoms.  Every three seconds someone dies of hunger.  In the United States one our of three children goes to bed hungry.
     It is a Christian duty to care for the hungry.  Jesus said, "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat... as much as you have done it for the least of these, you have done it for me."
Hunger is a plague that we may not eliminate but we can help alleviate.  The church does not exist solely to help the hungry, but helping the hungry is a part of our mission.  More Christians give to charity than their non-Christian neighbors (Christian are 66% more likely to give of time and money). We are called to give to the needy- not to stave off the Second Coming- but to stave off pain for our neighbor.  

Prayer: Lord, give me eyes to see the hungry and hands to do something about it.  

2/25- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Hungry- Isaiah 58:6-10

2/25- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Hungry- Isaiah 58:6-10

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? ⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? ⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. ⁹ Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, ¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. (Isaiah 58:6-10)

Thoughts: Isaiah reminds us that when we fast, we should remember not just our own hunger, but we should remind ourselves of the hunger of others- and do something about it.  So at least we could give away the food we refrained from eating.  When we sacrifice in order to give, God is always there.  When we share with the needy as a part of our worship to God, God listens, answers us, and blesses us so that our witness increases.
   Our consumer driven society does not know much about fasting or self-sacrifice.  So we are called beyond ourselves this Lent- to deny ourselves, take up our sacrificial cross- and follow Jesus.  

Prayer: So, Father, give me eyes to see the needy this day.  Create in me a generous heart.  Provide for me- so that I might give.  Give me grace to restrain my own over-indulgence so that I might help those who have nothing.  

(Left-Sharing food at Thanksgiving).  Yet, the hungry are around every day.  At our little local food pantry (We Care) they give out 600 pounds of food per hour.  Our church packs 41 backpacks for hungry kids each weekend.  One if five children in America miss meals not because they are fasting but because they cannot afford food- or have no one to feed them.