It seems like every ad on TV is urging people to check and see what benefits are available to them from the government. One would be led to think that gone are the days where people looked to God for their provision and guidance.

But actually, there are those who still look to God for everything they need. And while they do so, they WORK with their hands to do their part, not expecting everything to be “free”. And the Apostle Paul talked a lot about not being idle, but rather working with your hands to provide for your own needs, as well as using your surplus to help others in need.

The mentality of many people these days is to live off of those who are willing to work for a living. Now, I’m not talking about retired people who have worked all their lives, and now they have earned a pension, but rather, lazy people who refuse to work, and expect everyone else to serve them, while they sit on their butts, and contribute nothing to the good of society. LOOK AND SEE, and you’ll find more and more of these people around you. What causes a shift in society like that? Well, it’s caused by people turning away from God, and striving instead to please their fleshly desires.

I see the same people in my own town sitting by the roadside every day holding signs like “Everything helps”, able bodied people who COULD work, but WON’T work. When I first saw them, I was going to give, but felt in my spirit not to, and after having seen them in the same spot for like a month, I knew why I had that “check in the spirit”. The devil likes to kill, steal and destroy. And he uses people like that to steal your hard-earned resources by putting a guilt trip on you so you’ll give to their laziness. Could God bless them with a job? Sure, but they don’t WANT a job. Jesus said we would always have the poor with us, and we can help them if we want. But don’t be deceived, there is a difference between “need” and “greed”.

There are plenty of opportunities to give to genuine needs that people have, and we should do so, like to widows and single moms with kids, or people who have lost their jobs. But don’t let the devil deceive you into giving to professional lazy people. There’s someone out there that needs to see this today, they’re about to give away God’s resources to the devil because they feel guilty. Let me tell you, if you feel guilty, then pray and ask Christ Jesus to forgive your sins, and all that guilt will go away, and then ask the LORD to give you wisdom, how to hear HIS voice, so you won’t be deceived by lying spirits, because they’re out there, and they’re looking for an easy mark. Holiday season really brings out the deceivers, looking for suckers, and God doesn’t want you to be one of them.

I’ve never written about this before, but it really bothers me how the devil turns up the heat on God’s people, in an effort to steal from them by playing on their tender hearts. God’s people are always quick to give, because they know God will meet their needs, and He does. But this holiday season, why not ask God to show you where the REAL needs are in your community, and give where you can. Let the devil take care of his own lazy followers. Yes, pray that God opens their eyes to the truth, that they may recover themselves from the snares of the devil. The first step to spiritual freedom is to TAKE that step toward the LORD. You can’t do it for them, no matter how much you want to. You can offer to pray with them, but most likely they won’t want prayer, they just want money.

Some say, you can’t help them with their spiritual needs until you first help them with their physical needs. But LOOK AND SEE how the Lord Jesus taught the people FIRST, and IF they responded, He took care of their physical needs like healing and food. God has an order to how He does things, and His children should follow that order as well. Otherwise, you’ll just be throwing God’s resources down a hole that cannot be filled. Ask God who you can help, He will steer you the right way, and you’ll BOTH be blessed!