Let the Poor say I am Rich.

 Let the Poor Say, "I Am Rich"

A Reflection on 2 Corinthians 8:9 and James 2:5

Let the poor say, "I am rich"—

Not in the currency of earth, not in the fleeting treasure

That moth and rust corrupt or thieves break through to seize.

But in the wealth of heaven, beyond all human measure,

In the riches of His grace that set the captive soul at ease.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

I am rich in forgiveness—every debt is paid,

The ledger of my sins wiped clean, the charges overlaid

By the blood of the Lamb, the currency of the cross.

My poverty of spirit has become eternal gain, not loss.

I am rich in adoption—I am called a child of God,

An heir with Christ, on this solid rock I trod.

No longer orphaned, no longer left outside,

But brought into the family where love will ever abide.

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? (James 2:5)

I am rich in presence—the Spirit dwells in me,

The Comforter, the Counselor, the living, breathing key

To every door of blessing, every storehouse of His power.

I lack no good thing in this very hour.

So let the poor say, "I am rich" —not in pretense,

But in the reality of a faith that makes immense

The smallest seed of trust, the faintest ray of hope.

For God's economy has a different scope:

The last are first, the humble are raised high,

And the poor in spirit inherit the kingdom of the sky.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)

I may not have a storehouse filled with grain,

But I have the Bread of Life who sustains me in the rain.

I may not wear the finest silk or gold,

But I am clothed in righteousness, a garment bought of old.

So I will say it boldly, with joy and not with shame:

"I am rich"—because I bear the King's own name.

Not by what I own, but by whose I am,

A child of the Father, the resurrected Lamb.

Let the poor say, "I am rich."

For in Christ, we have everything.

Amen.