The scriptures reveal a God who cares deeply for the poor, the vulnerable, the oppressed. In fact some of the most extreme language in the Bible is reserved for those who do not share his heart for the poor.

God's identification with and concern for the poor is most clearly revealed in the incarnation, ministry and ultimately death of Jesus Christ. It is here in the gospel that God Himself entered into and experienced ultimate poverty for us. And so it is here in the gospel; in the lavish mercy of God poured out upon we who were in a most wretched, poor and undeserving state, that we find our deepest motivation to in turn love those in need among us. It is the love and mercy of God towards we who were in great need that must compel us to pass on His love to others.

The scriptures speak volumes about the heart of God for the poor; but not just the spiritually poor, the physically and socially poor also. In Isaiah 58 God responds to those who wonder why He has not accepted their fasting and sacrifices in light of their love for the law and their practice of religion.

Isaiah 58:6-8
Is this not the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and to bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

John Hayes, founder of InnerCHANGE (a mission order working amongst the poor) comments on the on the first phrase of verse 8;

'Then shall your light break forth like the dawn' is one of the most awesome promises in scripture. God speaks in simile to help us understand, but His full meaning is a mystery. Nevertheless, we believe the image describes the way in which God radiates his presence through us so that others might see something in us that makes them stop and consider. It is not the light of personal celebrity, but the light that points to its source, which is God. When we minister among the poor, those who see or learn of our work experience a resonance in the depth of their being, a calling out that this is the work of God…When we take the homeless into our homes, clothe the naked and feed the hungry, our light breaks forth out of proportion to the substance or success of our work.