Whatsoever You Do Unto The Least of These

Yesterday evening after work, I drove to LA Fitness to work out. When I arrived at the gym, I sat momentarily to finish a conversation with one of my sisters in the ministry. During our telephone fellowship, my battery was only at 10 percent. As I reached into my purse to get the charger, I realized I had forgotten it at the house.

I ended the conversation and found a T-Mobile

or a store to purchase a new one. I needed a new one anyway because the one I had at the house was a little worn out. I stopped at the T-Mobile and was impatient with the long wait, so I drove just a few more feet to the TJMaxx. Well, you already know when a woman stops in a TJMaxx, she has to at least look around at the home goods and peruse the clothing racks just in case she sees a sale on a cute outfit.

I had decided that while I was out, I would run my few errands and then return to the gym because I only had to do cardio and abs. When I returned to the car, I noticed a young lady walking not too far from where I was parked. At first glance, I didn't think much of it. Then as I drove closer to her, I heard the Lord say, "Stop and pray for her." The young lady was very unkept and homeless. She wore tattered clothes, too big and very beat-up shoes, a dirty mask to protect her from germs, and a small raggedy backpack. My heart dropped like a car down the hill of a rollercoaster.

Everyone around me knows that I have no shame whatsoever. I will stop to help anyone, pray for people in public, buy them something to eat, encourage them, and give a person a word of knowledge or a quick prophetic word. I have been known to put a homeless senior citizen in my car if instructed to do so or pull the vehicle to the side of the road to stop to help a person. You just NEVER know with me because it is about following the voice and instructions of the Holy Spirit. "My sheep hear my voice, and a stranger's they will not follow" (John 10:10).

As I visit with her, she tells me she is very hungry, evident by her crouching over to grab her stomach. She had gone about a week without food and had not bathed in over a month. I invited her to dinner, just a few feet from where we were talking in the parking lot. I begin praying in the Spirit, asking the Lord what is happening with the young lady. When I met her in the restaurant, she looked broken, scared, and thankful. Then I suddenly realized leaving my phone charger, my trip to that strip mall more than a mile away, and wasting time in the stores was all a setup for a divine appointment to show God's goodness to a broken vessel.

It was way too noisy as we were chatting in the restaurant, so she and I stepped out to talk more freely. She began sharing a bit about her story, that she had been homeless for approaching six years and was only 25 years old. I asked politely, "May I pray for you?" She said, "Yes, please."

During the prayer, the Holy Spirit dropped words of knowledge bit by bit, detail by detail, about her situation from whence she came. Only the Holy Spirit would know such private information about someone I had never met. The words were enough to let her know I heard from the Lord.

She began to tear up as the Holy Spirit spoke through me. Then I heard the Lord say, "Go buy her some new clothes." Without haste, she and I drove over to the clothing store on the other side of the strip mall. While we were shopping, I heard instructions on what to buy the young lady to the detail. We left the store with two outfits, new shoes, toiletries, undergarments, grooming essentials, and a nice bag in which to carry her new things.

I turned around, and the young lady had run out of the store as she became very overwhelmed with the goodness of the Lord. I prayed, "Lord, please don't let her run off. I want to help her." I knew, without question, she was on the Lord's heart that day. I exit the store and see her standing outside by the door. I smiled at her and said, "You stayed!" She said, "I was contemplating leaving but decided to stay." I realized she had never been treated with such kindness by anyone. I heard the Holy Spirit speak again, saying, "Get her a hotel room for the night so she can get a good night's sleep." At this point, she was so overwhelmed she said, "I have to ask you, why are you doing this? Do you do this often?" I politely responded with more words of knowledge "You were on the Lord's heart today. You were crying out last night for help. And the Lord sent me to answer your call for help. The Lord loves you." Then the Holy Spirit showed me a glimpse of her future, and I began to share the prophecy with her." Her eyes lit up with hope, and a smile popped through that face mask. Then I said, "Let's get you something to eat and a place to sleep for the night."

I checked her into a nearby Best Western Plus and escorted her to her room to help her settle. I gave her my card along with $50 and told her to contact me whenever she needed to. As I'm about to leave, she asks me how she can repay me. I replied, "You can repay me by giving your life to Jesus." As I was about to leave the room, I prayed with her right there and led that beautiful soul to Christ.

It was a very emotional moment. I cried and laid before the Lord when I got home that evening. It was pretty late, But I felt the Lord's pull to continue interceding throughout the night. When I woke up to dial in for our prophetic prayer call this morning, I heard so clearly, "Whatever you do unto the least of these, you also do unto Me" (Matthew 25:40).

This morning on Freedom Friday, I shared this story because I felt the pull of the Holy Spirit to stir up the people of God to surrender their lives in this area. So often, we walk away from homeless people because we assume they are on drugs or mentally ill. It doesn't hurt to share Jesus's love and minister to the lost souls, even if that is the case. But people are living on the streets who are victims of dire circumstances.

I heard the Lord say, "Be careful not to judge a thing before its time." What does this mean? The people we write off may be the people the Lord is raising to be the next prophets, preachers, teachers, evangelists, teachers, world leaders, business owners, film directors, and more. We see this time and time again throughout the Bible, where the arrogance of men turned others away because of their present situation.

Who immediately comes to mind is David. When the Lord told Samuel that He was not pleased with Saul and asked Samuel to go to Jesse's house to find the new king, he looked at the most likely candidate and overlooked the small kid in the background. The very one Samuel overlooked and who was dismissed by his father was the one carrying the anointing and mantel for the next king.

We often see this in the body of Christ and when people are looked down upon when they seem to be not where others are in their walk with Jesus. This is a huge issue and something of which we need to be aware. That is the down-low spirit of arrogance and pride. The warning is, "Be careful not to judge a thing before its time."

As we grow in our faith from glory to glory, we want to give the Holy Spirit the space to speak to us about those important matters in His heart each day. We must also put aside our personal agendas so that the Name of the Lord is glorified in ALL THINGS.

The next time you see a homeless person, ask the Lord, "Do you want me to help this person?" That person may be someone the Lord is trying to rescue. We will deny that person an opportunity to hear the Word of the Lord if we disobey. Just remember life is not about you but about the Kingdom of Heaven. Lord, may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven in our lives.

Scripture References: John 10:10, Matthew 25:40; Matthew 6:10

About Simply Marnie

Marnie Robinson is a communications strategist, journalist, and leader with over 25 years of combined experience in the public and nonprofit industries. Specializing in healthcare public relations and marketing, she is the president and CEO of MARS Communications, Inc. and SimplyMarnie.com. Marnie enjoys competing in fitness competitions, beauty pageants, voiceovers, singing, and living a healthy lifestyle.