Ahaziah, king of Israel, had just died. His mother, Athaliah, rose up to usurp the throne. Their story is similar to those we hear today, complete with abuse of power, deception and family violence. Athaliah ordered that all of her grandchildren and descendants be killed. She destroyed her own family.

However, a child of the king had been hidden when he was just a toddler. Where was he hidden? The temple, the house of the Jehovah.

And who was there to protect him for six years? A bold priest and some helpers who took care of this little one until he was ready to face the reality of his enemy.

But most important of all was the presence of God, giving strategies to the priest to prepare, teach and assist this little one and mobilize an army to care for him until he was ready. That time came when he was only 7 years old. He bravely stood up to Athaliah, and the Bible says that afterward, “The city was quiet.”

What a great responsibility we have as people of God!

In our positions as priests, servants or soldiers in the army of God, we can protect our children from the reality of violence, poverty and abuse — if we have the presence of God with us. Only then will the children see what is good and right in God’s eyes.

“When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered.

“She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the LORD for six years.” — 2 Kings 11:1–3, NIV

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the opportunity to care for Your children. Your sweet presence is always with us. In moments of weakness, help us remember that we are part of the army of God. Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Martha Morales is a Complementary Interventions Administrator in our
Colombia office.

Read all the One in Spirit devotionals.

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When I read stories from our field offices about people coming to know Christ as their Savior, I get really excited. Over the past few weeks stories about Eva, Anthony and Awa have really stood out to me.

What struck me about each of their stories were the actions of the Christian community serving them — actions that showed there is something truly different about this Jesus … something that is, in fact, life changing.

Our faith is important and so is prayer, but actions … well, actions speak volumes our words cannot. In James 2:14-16 (NASB) the apostle Paul says,

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”

Over the Christmas season I read Paper Angels by Jimmy Wayne and Travis Thrasher. It’s an inspiring novel about two families whose lives touch through the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program.

In case you do not know, the Angel Tree program is one where you choose a child in need and buy Christmas gifts for that child.

It’s a tangible way to help others less fortunate than you know they are loved and are not forgotten at Christmas time.

In the novel, Kevin struggles to keep his young family afloat with his ailing business.

And Thomas, well, Thomas is a teen living in poverty who is determined not to let his poverty get the best of him.

Both characters are fighting tough times, and through their actions God shows up and they each discover that, as bleak as life looks, it doesn’t have to stay that way.

As I read Paper Angels and reflected on Eva, Anthony and Awa, I saw the ugly thread of poverty’s lies woven throughout their personal stories.

Lies like You will die alone; Dreams aren’t for you; and Bullies always win, so don’t bother fighting.

Yet in Paper Angels, as in real life, it was the actions of those called to be the hands and feet of Jesus that brought light to the truth.

Truth that says You are not alone; Dreams do come true; and Bullies are broken people who need Jesus and have no power over you.

Christmas is over and, for many of us, our heightened awareness of the needs of others dulls over time. So I am challenging myself and you: What can we do in this new year to dispel the lies children in poverty live with 24/7?

You could sponsor a child – of course, I’m a huge supporter of that! But what about local programs like CASA or Big Brothers and Big Sisters? Or does your church or community have an outreach program for single parents?

I know life gets busy and overwhelming at times, but if we all just do a little bit, a whole lot of ground will be covered.

Any action you take on behalf of a child living in poverty says to that precious person, You are seen; You are loved; and most especially, You matter to Jesus.

In 2012, will you be the action that shows the love of Jesus to others? And if you need a little inspiration throughout the year, read Paper Angels. It’ll touch your heart and motivate you when you need it most.

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Picture something with me. In your mind’s eye, in front of you is a house on fire and a person shouting from the top floor of the house that he’s trapped and can’t get out.

Scary and intense, yes? Stay with me.

Now to your right you see a firefighter with all of his gear, ready to run into the inferno. He has extensive training, and this is the moment he was made for. The person in danger knows the firefighter can see him and hear him, and he continues to shout for help.

Then the firefighter does something unexpected. He stands outside the door of the house and yells.

“Come on out here where there is no fire! I can see you. Just try your best! I’m not sure I want to go in there. It looks dangerous, and I don’t know how it will turn out in the end. What if you don’t appreciate it? What if I get hurt?”

Despite all his knowledge, training and skills, the firefighter has questions that need answers before he will consider helping the person in danger. Stunning!

I have never known a firefighter who would not run into the building. They are willing to risk all they have to save the lives of people in danger who can’t save themselves.

Does that sound like the Father God we know?

As a singer/songwriter/worship leader who has had the honor of serving as an artist with Compassion for the past 14 years, my attitude and desire to help children in need has become more passionate than I ever thought it would be.

When I began writing for my CD RESCUE, I became challenged and moved by the word itself.

Rescue by definition means “to free or deliver from confinement, violence, danger or evil.”

The obvious part for a believer is that’s what God did for us in Jesus Christ. He knew He couldn’t just say, “Come on over here where there is no sin. Try your best!” He knew the answer was to send His son Jesus into our world, our burning building, and rescue us from the “danger, violence and evil” of our sin.

Praise be to our Abba Father God for this!

Sponsoring a child in Jesus’ name is more than just a good deed and nice thing. These children are in burning buildings called poverty.

They truly cannot get themselves out of the danger. They are children. Yes, just children who are crying out for rescue to anyone who can hear, because they can’t do it alone.

I wrote the song “Come To The Rescue” with my friends Bob Stromberg and Paul Marino. I honestly found myself with a heart pain that was saying “enough is enough” when I brought the idea to Bob and Paul. Helping a child in poverty, who may be hurting, orphaned, or even abused isn’t merely a thing to be considered or thought about.

Poverty is the fire and we are the firefighters.

God has given us the Kingdom, and when we run into the burning house, we bring a hope and love like no other, because of Jesus Christ in us, through us and with us. We need not be afraid because the Holy Spirit is not afraid.

Please come to the rescue, my friends. Help others see the “firefighter” God has called each of us to be!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Peder Eide is a traveling singer/songwriter, worship leader, speaker, husband, and daddy to five. He’s partnered with Compassion for 15 years.

Proceeds from any sale of Peder’s new CD RESCUE made from his website are being donated to our Highly Vulnerable Children Fund. Purchase a copy of RESCUE now.

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AIDS and poverty. Poverty and AIDS. One doesn’t cause the other, but for children and families living in extreme poverty, AIDS is especially devastating.

Several factors multiply the devastation caused by HIV/AIDS in developing countries.

One is the lack of prevention education.

Another is the high cost of treatment and the difficulty of getting the lifesaving medicinal tablets that travel 10,000 miles to travel that last mile, into the hands of the people who need them.

To travel beyond the clinic and into the slum. To travel down the dusty roads in the rural areas. And up the hills and down into the valleys to the out-of-the-way places.

Other factors of poverty contributing to the incidence of HIV/AIDS include:

• poor health facilities
• communication and transportation difficulties
• unstable governments
• the prevalence of environmental diseases

Currently, less than 10 percent of HIV-positive children in need of treatment are being treated.

This year the World AIDS Day global focus is on zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.

Which is a big deal when you consider that more than 6,800 new HIV infections occur daily, worldwide, and more than 5,700 people die of AIDS each day.

But beyond the death and physical illness, among the many challenges facing people living with HIV/AIDS are the stigma and discrimination that come with it.

People living with HIV/AIDS in extreme poverty are still feared, avoided and ostracized. People who overcome their fears and get tested for HIV are often still afraid to speak out and educate or advocate for others – which is why we have this blog post.

AIDS and poverty. Poverty and AIDS. If you care about releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name, then that means you should care about fighting AIDS.

So get out there and fight.

Do one thing today (World AIDS Day), one thing with purpose, one thing to help the world get to zero and bring some glee to a child.

Sources: www.childinfo.org, www.unaids.org, www.unicef.org

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What does poverty mean? It all depends.

What does poverty mean to a child orphaned by cancer and abandoned by his father? It means he has to learn how to dream again.

What does poverty mean to the great aunt taking care of him, and his six year old sister? It means fear. Fear that someone may take the children away from her.

What does poverty mean to a mother who lost her two-year old child to pneumonia while waiting at the hospital for treatment? It means the Body of Christ is a refuge.

What does poverty mean to a man once persecuted because of his faith? It means he becomes a pastor and serves His Savior for 28 years and counting.

What does poverty mean to a boy who learns about Jesus Christ on a regular basis? It means self-respect, self-esteem and the ability to love.

What does poverty mean to you? I don’t know exactly.

But I do know it’s an opportunity to provide an opportunity. And it means possible discomfort and sacrifice.

It definitely means joy too.

It means hope for one who may have given up hope.

It means a future.

What does poverty mean to a child without a sponsor? It means a sponsor is needed.

To the masses of poor, poverty means dependence, marginalization, scarcity, incapacity and restrictions on rights and freedoms.

Poverty is defined by the World Bank as hunger, lack of shelter, being sick and not being able to see a doctor. It’s not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty means not having a job, fear for the future and living one day at a time. Poverty is powerlessness.

But the most important question we need to ask ourselves and each other is,

What does poverty mean to God?

Photos by Keely Marie Scott and Patricia Jones from the Compassion Bloggers trip to Ecuador.

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What is poverty?

Poverty is a termite eating away at a child’s heart, mind and self-esteem. And poverty is a liar.

Poverty is overwhelming, frightening and debilitating, but not invincible.

Poverty is a monster. Poverty is a cancer. Poverty is a thief.

Poverty is a prison cell with the key in sight, but just out of reach. Poverty is a lack of opportunity.

Poverty is a plague, chain and a cockroach. It’s also the most ridiculous thing in the world.

Where is poverty?

It isn’t in the future for our children.

All photos by Keely Marie Scott from the Compassion Bloggers trip to Ecuador.

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The evil one, the wicked schemer, devises wicked plans against the poor, and he has been highly successful. Over half the world’s population is a slave of his plan.

“…the schemes of the schemer are evil; he devises wicked plans to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaks justice.” — Isaiah 32:7, NKJV

I can’t think of a more accurate description of poverty.

This wicked scheme called poverty has stolen hope, killed dreams and destroyed lives.

The enemy has spoken lying words to those caught in his scheme. He has told them they don’t matter. He has made them believe they are all alone in their suffering. He has deceived them into thinking their situation will never change. They no longer dream or aspire to anything better, because they have believed his lies.

Imagine, billions of souls caught in the greatest destructive plot in history! Who will help them? Who will save them?

Look at the next verse,

“But a generous man devises generous things, and by generosity he shall stand.” — Isaiah 32:8, NKJV

The answer is us. Me, and you, and all who call themselves by the name of the Lord. The answer is generous people, devising generous plans. Those generous plans are the antidote to the schemes of the enemy.

Compassion is a generous plan. It exists to speak the truth into the lives of children who are enslaved by the enemy and his lies. It exists to bring light to their darkness, and hope to the hopelessness of his wicked scheme.

I’m also thinking about generous people who plan and pray and devise ways to help the poor.

The family who fasts a meal a week so they can sponsor a child. The student who bypasses a few lattes so she can feed the hungry. The church groups who pool their resources so they can make a difference. Those are generous plans.

It’s not an easy fight, and it takes sacrifice and humility and persistence. But just think what might happen if enough generous people decided to use their intelligence, skills and resources to devise enough generous plans! Maybe we could defeat the wicked scheme called poverty once and for all.

So what is your generous plan?

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Our ministry often refers to the “opposite of poverty.” And you might think that we are referring to wealth. The opposite of poor is obviously rich, right?

Actually, in order to answer the question, we first must be able to understand what poverty really is.

There is spiritual poverty … having no access to the gospel or never hearing about our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Sadly, millions of people around the world do not know that Jesus loves them. So the opposite of spiritual poverty is obviously having access to the gospel. It means knowing who Jesus is and how much He wants a relationship with everyone.

There is educational poverty. For hundreds of millions around the world, education is a luxury they cannot afford.

Think about that statement, “education is a luxury.” And imagine what that means for those who are trying to keep up in a changing world.

Lack of education creates a lack of options, difficulty in finding employment. So the opposite of educational poverty is the opportunity for advancement, new learning and practical training.

There is social poverty. In many parts of the world, there are people groups who are simply “undervalued.” Women have few or no rights, children have no voice, no platform … few or no rights.

So the opposite of social poverty is obviously a world where everyone is valued. Where there is community, or at least opportunity for community, and where governments recognize the value of every citizen.

There is health poverty. It may sound foreign to most of you reading this blog, but there are many, many people around the world who don’t even know the importance of brushing their teeth, or making sure the water they drink is clean.

There are men, women and children throughout our planet who believe that debilitating, crippling pain is just part of life — not knowing that it could be cured or treated, if only given the opportunity.

We’ve hear stories of village mothers who deprive their children of water when the children have diarrhea … believing that diarrhea means the child has has too much water. Not understanding that the very thing a child with diarrhea needs is more fluids.

We teach kids how to care for their bodies. Health poverty also includes those millions of people around the world who have no access to health care. So the opposite of health poverty may be the opportunity to get basic medical/health needs taken care of. It means the ability to learn how to take care of your own body.

There is environmental poverty. I have walked in parts of the world where families live in parched land, with dirt floors, where sewage trenches trickle outside their front doors.

Not every person in the world needs a mansion or even a 2,000 square foot, carpeted home. But every person should have safe shelter. Every person should have access to clean air and clean water. That’s the opposite of environmental poverty.

And, of course, there’s economic poverty. Can you believe there are millions of people around the world who do backbreaking work for 8 to 12 hours per day, for less than $2 pay?

Seriously? How can you feed a family on that kind of money? You can’t.

But the opposite of economic poverty isn’t for each of these people to suddenly become wealthy. The opposite of economic poverty is to have enough. Enough income to feed your family. Enough income to provide shelter for your family. That’s hardly too much to ask.

So, as you partner with us or your church or another ministry organization to fight poverty, it’s good to have a better understanding of what that really means.

We’re not called to make the poor become rich, uber-athletes, Ph.Ds or super-theologians. We’re not called to give them the opportunities to live in paradisaical environments. We’re called to make sure they have enough in each of these categories. So the opposite of poverty isn’t wealth. It’s simply … enough.

LINK UP: Today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (a.k.a. World Poverty Day). Don’t be silent. Take some time to make some noise. Write a post about extreme poverty and then share it with us by linking up below.

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A cross made out of a dried palm leaf sits above of the main entrance to Vanitha’s home in Sri Lanka. Vanitha smiles as she stands in front of an uneven wall painted white.

The white wall is stained with soot and scribbles. Cracks run from its foundation up.

This house made out of mud was once a cattle shed.

When 29-year-old Vanitha got married, parents from both sides were not very happy about it.

When they didn’t have a place to live, she and her husband were given a cattle shed for their home.

Vanitha is now a mother of four young children. Her youngest, Paveen, is a 4-month-old little angel.

This young family of four sleeps on one twin bed, which looks very unsteady. But little Paveen was sleeping soundly as we sat down to talk with Vanitha and her husband, Isravel. Vanitha shares,

“The Child Survival Program is a blessing to us. I have received so much, I have learned so much, and I can’t explain how grateful I am.”

Vanitha runs outside to the makeshift clay fireplace and brings in their meal for the day. As she stirs the mixed vegetable porridge she continues,

“I didn’t know how to look after children. I did it for my three older children. But I just brought them up without actually knowing how important they are and how important it is to bring them up and teach them properly.

“Now I know how to choose good food for my family. I know to cook healthy meals, when we have things to cook.”

Suddenly, Vanitha’s face changes and sadness fills her eyes. She shares that they earn around 500 – 1,000 rupees ($4-8 USD) a day. Yet that is not every day, and some days, like today, they have only leftovers to feed their children.

Nallu, the Child Survival Program director, tells us that Vanitha and Isravel’s roof had collapsed a few weeks back.

“The family moves the bed around the house as it leaks, finding a place that is dry. They don’t have money to build a new roof.”

The house in front of theirs has been closed now for a long time. It’s strong and well built. This is Isravel’s parents’ house. No one is living there.

When asked if Vanitha and her family can move in there and live in a proper home, there is silence as Vanitha and her husband just hang their heads.

Rejection from one’s own family is not easy to take. Living alone is painful. Yet this family lives day by da,y thanking the Lord for what He has given them. Isravel tells us,

“We are happy. The Child Survival Program has made my wife happy and that makes me happy.”

Just then little Paveen wakes up with a loud cry. The whole family runs to the bed smiling, looking into Praveen’s eyes. Vanitha’s sadness is gone. Isravel’s sadness is gone. Praveen is special. Isravel shares,

“Because of Praveen, we are being helped and we know that the sisters from the Child Survival Program care for us. We do have a family.”

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Have you ever had a monumentally bad week? I’m not talking about running late, forgetting to turn off the sprinklers sort of bad, but an epic week that shifted your normal and changed everything? Last September, I had one of those weeks.

My very bad week began with the worst kind of phone call. One of my college roommates died in a car crash that morning. It was just months before her wedding.

Days later in my newly married community group, I watched a dear friend and Air Force officer weep as he looked deployment square in the face while holding his two-week old baby girl.

And then I got a letter from Compassion.

Weeks before, I learned that one of our Compassion kids, Kevin, had been removed from the sponsorship program. His mom had a good job, and he didn’t need us anymore.

We rejoiced with him and with his mother who was finally able to provide for her son, and we prayed for the new child who would greet us in the mail and take a place among the photos on our bulletin board of Compassion kids past and present. When the letter arrived that week, we met our new little guy through a cartoonish worksheet he had filled in about himself with crayons and pen.

Ezra indicated he was from Indonesia, average height, average weight, enjoyed school and loved his family.

In the last section of the sheet, tucked on the back page, he got to ask us something. There was just room for one question to these strangers on the other side of the world.

“Do you get to eat every day?”

There it was. A punch in the stomach. The ache for him. The knowledge that he had seen hunger. He had known it. The understanding that he got a chance to ask us anything, and he chose that question.

Three great tragedies – death, separation, poverty – all in one week.

I was down for the count, lost and overwhelmed. The world was too filled with grief, and my contribution wasn’t going to make a dent in it.

But in the days that came after, I saw friends and families swarm my college roommate’s grief-stricken family. People helped meet her family’s needs, provided council and casseroles, and sat through the long, tear-filled silences.

In all sorts of ways, they were the bringers of compassion, loving on parents who had lost a child, sisters who had lost a sibling, and a fiancé whose whole life changed.

We rallied around our friend who was to be deployed. He left knowing his wife and daughter had a dozen families ready to lend a hand – a dozen men to call for plumbing emergencies, a dozen girls to have movie nights with, a group of moms to turn to for mothering tips, and a lawn that would be faithfully mowed every week so his wife never looked like she was temporarily husbandless.

And then there was our Compassion child.

Yes, Sweet Boy, we get to eat every day, I whispered to his little kid handwriting.

But still, compassion comes at a cost.

My husband and I drive old cars. We only go to the dollar theatre, and we don’t have cable TV. The realities of our budget elicit an occasional pity party when I see a friend’s new family-friendly SUV and am reminded that we don’t have a nest egg big enough to start a family.

But we eat every day.

Is the cost to sponsor a child a sacrifice? Yes.

Will it break us? Nope.

But without our monthly commitment, Ezra could be the one to break.

For me, sponsorship means less grande, three-pump, no water Chai Tea Lattes. For him it means an introduction to Jesus, clean water, a belly full of food and a head full of knowledge from school.

Or as Christ said it – hope and a future.

We live in a world of blistering hurts and festering, generations-long injustices. God, in his sovereignty, lets us help ease suffering and right wrongs, and in the process, we’re changed too.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed and to be sure that nothing you do will make a dent. When I was in that place, God used the question of a little boy to remind me that only He could save the world, but in the process, He would use my little contribution to make a difference in the world of one child.

It was an awful week of tragedies followed by months of hope as God brought a community of people around the hurting and reminded us all that we get to be used by Him. The sacrifice becomes the gift, and amid the suffering, we can be the bearers of compassion.

I hope that someday when Ezra becomes a father, and his child gets to ask just one question to people on the other side of the world, it won’t be the same one we were asked.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sarah Warren is a writer who works in public relations for a university. She is also a newlywed who lives in Oklahoma with her husband, Kevin. When Sarah learned that Kevin sponsored several Compassion kids, she decided it would be nice if he asked her to marry him.

If you’re interested in writing a guest blog post, we are happy to consider publishing it. Read our guest blog post guidelines.

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