Treatment of Aliens

                 A couple of weeks ago I did a post on illegal immigration. One reader asked me this:

“I've read about Christians who will help illegal immigrants because they believe they are

helping the disenfranchised. That doesn't seem right to me but how could I turn someone down

who needs food or shelter? What do you think”

                To answer this question, I have turned to the Bible. The Old Testament is often called the Book of Laws and the New Testament is referred to as the New Covenant. This has caused many people to abolish the laws of the Old Testament and only read the New Testament. However, the Old Testament is full of the testimonies of lives of godly people and laws that should still apply to our lives today because God is unchanging and unmoving. You may wonder why I am saying all of this. It’s because the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy have verses that refer to the treatment of aliens. I am not talking about extraterrestrials-those don’t exist. What I am talking about are residents born in or belonging to another country who have not acquired citizenship by naturalization.

“Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels

to be aliens, being you were aliens in Egypt.”

-Exodus 23:9

“He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves

the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to

love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.”

-Deuteronomy 10:18-19

                We all have ancestors, or even parents and grandparents, who came to America from another country. They were all immigrants at some point. Illegal immigrants are hurting our economy and breaking God’s law as well as our country’s law by residing here without documentation. However, we are not to degrade them or keep them from having food and a safe place to stay. I’ll admit, at one point I did feel that we should not even do that for these people because they are here illegally. I still do not support their way of living in America illegally but after reading the verses I am sharing with you, my mindset changed. They helped me realized that the aliens still share the same God as us and God wants us to help everyone as He does. America is God’s land! If we show them compassion then we are showing God’s grace. This does not mean to allow them to stay here illegally, but rather encourage them to go through the naturalization process as our families did. 

Illegal Immigration 

Helping God's Children

“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling

for food to eat-for he grants sleep to those he loves.”

-Psalm 127:2

                It’s amazing how God protects and provides for those who love him. Although someone might be homeless, if they love God He still provides for them as they need. Some people blame God for them becoming homeless but they don’t realize that God will protect them and it is possibly part of His will, so that they may have a testimony. Why blame God after every tear if you don’t thank Him after every smile? It’s like in Deuteronomy when God sent the Israelites into the wilderness. He put them through hardships but protected them. He kept the clothes on their back for forty years. He disciplined them so that they may never forget Him.

“He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you

with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach

you that man does not live on bread alone but on

every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

-Deuteronomy 8:3

                God sends His children into the lives of his followers who are in need. He guides us to help one another, allowing us to show His love and love one another so that we remain whole as the body of Christ. We also must remember that if we help someone in need, we are helping the Lord. We don’t know the situations that led them to where they are. If we give to one of His, we are giving to him. He blesses us for this. In Matthew 25:31-45 Christ says that the blessed gave him food when he was hungry, a drink when he was thirsty, clothed him when he needed clothes, gave him a place to stay when he was homeless and visited him while he was in prison. The righteous will not know how they did this. Then Christ says:

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of

these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

-Matthew 25:40

                Those who did not help anyone were sent to the lake of fire. He wants us to have giving hearts so that we can help spread his grace, word, and love. We can remind others of the Lord just by our actions. We cannot know who exactly believes in the Lord but it will surprise you how many actually do and were just put in certain circumstances that led them to the lowly state that they are at.

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with

confidence, so that we may receive

mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

-Hebrews 4:16

"A generous person will prosper;whoever refreshes others will be refreshed." 

-Proverbs 11:25

                Yesterday, a friend of my father, whom I call Uncle Max, shared an experience with me that he had in the morning. He went to McDonalds for breakfast and he saw a hitchhiker approaching. He looked tired and weary.  He only ordered a coffee so Uncle Max gave him ten dollars and said, “My friend, eat something solid and God bless you.” The man looked at him strange in the eyes and said, “Thank you, and you too.” Uncle Max went back to his truck and waited for him so he could give him a Bible tract he had printed out, but decided to go back inside and see him since he was taking a long time. When he got back inside the hitchhiker was seated at a table ready to eat a sandwich and in front of him was a Bible open to Deuteronomy. God used him to feed one of His children!

                Back in September, I had a similar experience. My college has a food stand out front during the warmer months so we can enjoy food outside. Normally, I don’t buy food from outside but this one day I decided to go ahead and see what they had out front. A homeless woman, looking tired and wearing clothes too large for her, approached the man who was selling the food. She asked if she could have free food because she was hungry. He refused 3 times and so she was about to leave. As she turned her back I said, “Hold on, I’ll get you some food. Choose whatever you want and I will pay for it.” Just as I was about to say, Jesus loves you, God bless, she looked at me with wide eyes and a smile broke across her face. She gave me a long, hard hug and said, “Thank you so much, you just did what Jesus would do!” At first she was afraid that she offended me by hugging me but I told her that it touched my heart that I could help her and that she was so appreciative. I was buying her the food so that I could witness to her about Christ but instead God used me to provide food for one of His children!

                So, the next time you see someone looking for a few bucks or something to eat, don’t judge them. Open your heart to them. They are one of God’s children and they might not have experienced compassion or mercy in such a long time. What they need at this low point in their lives is to know that someone cares and to know that God is there for them, ready to get them out of that situation. It’s God’s will that they are in your presence at that very moment and it’s his will that you happened to plan the day as it did. If you got stuck in traffic or left work early for lunch you wouldn’t have seen this person. If you decided to go somewhere else to eat or skip lunch altogether, you wouldn’t have seen this person.  It warms my heart every time I hear a story about someone helping one of God’s children and it touches me every time I get to help one of His. You can feel that joy too in doing God’s works if you just open your heart and give to Him. 

Why Worry?

                As a human, it’s very hard to not worry. The economy is crumbling and it’s only because of God’s grace that we have food on our tables and a home to go to after work. We often worry, how will we pay this bill or how will we send our kids to college? But that is not how we are supposed to think. We are supposed to have faith that God will protect us and provide for us.

“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life,

what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you

will wear; Is not life  more important than food, and

the body more important than clothes?...But seek

first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will

be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about

tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”

-Matthew 6:24-27…33-34

                The birds have food because God feeds them. Are we not more important than them? Lilies of the field are beautifully dressed only to wither away. Will God not clothe us as well? If you lay all your needs on the Lord, and know that you he is your soul provider, than he will give you what you need plus more. You are his child and he cares for you.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but, in everything,

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present

your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends

all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

-Philippians 4:6-7

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

-Philippians 4:19

                It seems as though we work for barely enough to feed our families. However, we are to be pleased with what we have and that we are able to work.

“A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink

and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see is from the

hands of God, for without him, who can eat of find enjoyment?”

-Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

“Then I realized that it is good and proper for

a man to eat and drink, and to find

satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days

of life God has given him-for this is his lot.”

-Ecclesiastes 5:18

                God wants us to be content with what we have. So many people today are on the streets with no jobs, standing on the roadside begging for money from motorists. You should feel blessed that you have a job. And remember, it is not your own doing but it is God's. And if you don't have a job, then that is God's plan for you. For everything is done according to his own plan, not yours. Whether we are poor are rich, it is all from God. Paul wrote to the Philippians:

“…for I have learned to be content with whatever the circumstances.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.

I have learned the secret of being content in any

and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether

living in plenty or in want.”

-Philippians 4:11-12

                We are to keep from the love of money. Money will not make us happy or get us to heaven. Yes, money is important in paying bills and getting food in today’s world, but that is not the only thing we have to rely on. Rely on God and he will protect you and everything you own.

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have,

because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

-Hebrews 13:5

“For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take

nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing,

we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into

temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires

that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of

all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced

themselves with many griefs.”

-1 Timothy 6:7-10

                If we have what we need to live, then we should be happy and content and not strive to have any more. God does say he will bless those who glorify Him, but do not glorify him just to get blessings. Glorify him because you know he exists and he is true and just. Glorify him because you love him and want to serve him. We came from dust, and will return to dust. We can’t take anything with us from this earth to heaven with us. How many hearses do you see with U-Haul trucks towed behind them? The only riches we should desire are those that are Godly and pure.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and

rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust

do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.

-Matthew 6: 19-21