The Destitute

"He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea." (Psalm 102: 17 NIV)

What does it mean to be "destitute"? Simply, it is to be without, literally without everything, without clothes, without food, without water, without any and all things necessary to life.

As man has both a natural and a spiritual life, and experiences both a physical and a spiritual or soulish death, or a separation from God and life, so does he experience destitution in both soul and body.

Spiritual destitution is the universal condition of fallen man, and is a fact whether men realize it or not. Sadly, very few do in fact realize it, or at least realize it deeply with intense conviction, rather than only superficially.

No man experiences forgiveness of sins and a real religious conversion and rebirth unless he comes to Lord God empty, and as a spiritual destitute, and just as he is, a hell-deserving sinner, and unless he comes as a beggar, and without attempting to qualify himself with pretensions to being otherwise than spiritually bankrupt and destitute, a person who has nothing spiritually to offer to Lord God, and who does not have either the right to approach the Lord, nor clothes to wear in proper presentation before him, nor anything to commend himself as being worthy so as to properly appear before Sovereign Lord God.

But, thank God, there is a warrant and privilege (John 1: 12, 13) to be had for the truly destitute soul to come to God through Christ Jesus. Thank God there is a qualification available to the truly destitute soul in the person of Christ, and fit clothes for him to wear for his appearing before the Lord, and that there are riches and "everlasting habitations" (Luke 16: 9) available to him in Christ, that will take him from his place of destitution, and from his ragtag existence, to the place of abundance and wealth, the very opposite place to the place of utter destitution.

The Psalmist says that Lord God will hear the cry of the destitute, that is, he will hear the cry of those destitute ones who cry out to him, the one and only God, and who put their trust, faith, and hope in him.

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." (Proverbs 31: 8 NIV)

Surely those who have been shown their spiritual destitution, and have been graciously "accepted in Christ" (Ephesians 1: 6), and have "gone from rags to riches," know the great feeling that comes to those who have been saved from destitution.

It is for this reason that the Christian should know how to have mercy, and patience, and pity upon the poor and destitute of the world.

"And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor (destitute, or nearly so). The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man." (II Samuel 12: 1-7 KJV)

Here David did not do as he knew he should do, and as he thought he had been doing faithfully. He was the one who despised Uriah, the poor and destitute man, and stole his wife (Bathsheba), and arranged for his death. So too do Christians not always "speak up for" the oppressed and the destitute, as they should; in fact, some even despise the destitute! Such hypocrisy from ones who supposedly know destitution!

"For the fool speaks folly, his mind is busy with evil: He practices ungodliness and spreads error concerning the LORD; the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he withholds water." (Isaiah 32: 6 NIV)

Here is one who is opposite of the "good Samaritan," being one who rather "passes by" another who is in need, than stopping to help him in his destitution. (See Luke 10: 30-37 KJV)

"There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor (destitute), yet hath great riches." (Proverbs 13: 7 KJV)

Oh that these words were pondered and their meaning understood and followed! Those who will suffer the fires of torment forever, for their sins, will truly be destitute, possessing absolutely nothing good.

They "made themselves rich" in their self estimations, in their worldly and in material gains, in the way they lived on the earth in selfishness and pride, and without regard to the poor and the destitute, being like the "rich man" in the story of his death and the death of Lazarus, the beggar who "laid at his gate full of sores" throughout life. (See Luke 16: 19-31)

This rich man disregarded the poor and the destitute, and he "made himself rich" in this world, but tragically, he kept himself in spiritual bankruptcy. On the other hand, Lazarus, who was physically destitute throughout life, went to a world where destitution and poverty are known no more.

"And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away." (Matthew 21: 29 KJV)

Here is a picture of spiritual destitution. A fig tree that is "without" fruit, is a tree without a good reason for existence, having become useless, and destitute of good.

"And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment." (Mark 5: 25-27 KJV)

Did she not come as one "destitute" to the Lord? Did she not come "empty" and as a "poor" and "needy" soul? This is how we must come to the Lord! We come openly and nakedly to him. We would be coming just as he sees us anyway, so why come pretending? "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." (Hebrews 4: 13 KJV)

"There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged." (Luke 7: 41-43 KJV)

"When they had nothing to pay"! When they acknowledged their destitution and spiritually bankrupt condition! At that time is when the creditor, Lord God, "frankly (or freely, sovereignly, or arbitrarily) forgave them both"!

Salvation cannot be purchased, for the sinner has "nothing to pay." Salvation has already been purchased by Christ. Salvation is now simply extended to all as a free gift, is now offered to every debtor to God, in the gospel.

"As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." (II Corinthians 6: 10 KJV)

This corresponds with the words of the Proverb cited above. There are those who are made rich from a state of destitution, and then there are those who are made poor and destitute from a state of wealth. In other words, there are those who go from rags to riches, and then there are those who go from riches to rags, spiritually and eternally speaking.

"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." (II Corinthians 8: 9 KJV)

This is the gospel! This is the good news and the glad tidings! Those who are destitute, in life, in spirit, and who are without hope before the Lord, but who nevertheless come humbly to him as such, and as poor, empty, naked, and destitute souls, are then saved and exalted from those rags, and made to inherit eternal riches throughout the ages with Christ, and with Lord God. Praise God!

"Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured us, he has thrown us into confusion, he has made us an empty jar. Like a serpent he has swallowed us and filled his stomach with our delicacies, and then has spewed us out." (Jeremiah 51: 34 NIV)

"I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD." (Amos 4: 6 NIV)

Why do men not see their destitution? Why do they not see the cause for it all? Why do they not turn to the Lord who is bringing them into destitution, both now and forever, because of their unforgiven sins, and because of their unbelief and rejection of the gospel? Why do they not come as they are, "empty" and "destitute," and beg God for mercy and by simple faith trust him and receive his gracious and free gift?

"He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty." (Luke 1: 53 NIV)

Indeed he has already! Indeed he is even now! Indeed he will do again at the great Day of Judgment!

"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers..." (I Peter 1: 18 NIV)

That would be another way of defining what we mean by "spiritual destitution" and "poverty of spirit." An "empty way of life" is a destitute spiritual life, actually, a spiritual death.

"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." (Revelation 3: 16-18 KJV)

Into which category of soul do you fit? Are you one who now sees himself as spiritually wealthy, apart from Christ, and "in need of nothing," because you are trusting in your own qualifications, in your own works and merits? If so, then you will be one who will truly be destitute forever in a far superior way to any destitution experienced now in this life! Are you one who sees himself as spiritually bankrupt, and as "having nothing to pay," and who sees himself as having nothing to qualify and recommend himself to the Lord for mercy and forgiveness? Are you one, who having come in this manner, have also trusted and believed in Christ alone for salvation?

If so,then you are no longer destitute! Praise God in Christ!