View the Bible’s message of the day.

Defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31:9

We love stories about underdogs defeating more powerful opponents. And we love heroes who willingly sacrifice their resources to defend, save, and protect others. But what we may not realize is that we, as followers of Jesus, are called to be defenders of the weak and protectors of those in need.

Christ set an example for us to follow that makes our role clear. We don’t have to give away a lot of money, avert our eyes out of shame, or fix all of another person’s problems. We simply have to open our hearts and engage in the struggle the other person faces. It may be meeting a physical need—providing food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, shelter to the homeless. But it may also be listening, praying, crying, and laughing with the lonely, the grieving, the sick.

We don’t have to have super powers to care for the underdogs around us. We simply have to love them the way Christ loves us.

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Pray: “Father, open my eyes to the needs around me. Show me how I can be Christ to someone I meet today.”