There is a man sitting on the sidewalk with his back against a store front. His clothes are ragged and dirty. He has a scent that makes your nose wrinkle. He has taken his shoes off, no doubt because they are too small for his feet. He needs them to walk in, and to keep his feet warm at night, therefore he keeps them nearby. His hand reaches out to you, and in it is a tin cup. He is asking for help…

You have a voice inside you saying some or all of these sentences, “He’s a panhandler.” “He should be working.” “It’s a scam.” “Walk on.” ” Ignore him.” “Let someone else help him.”

You are about to walk by when you remember what you were thinking the other day. About how you would like to help someone in need. “Oh, but this man’s a professional panhandler. I certainly didn’t mean him,” the voice inside you says.

Then, you remember reading an article. In it was, “Everyone is God’s child.”

It also said that if you would like to help someone, but don’t know if you should, the answer should always be “Yes.” And that you should be prepared to step out in faith.

There’s a difference between stepping out in faith and just doing something because you think you are supposed to. Stepping out in faith means you have the Angels’ protection, and you know it. If you do something just because you THINK you are supposed to, that’s not stepping out in faith.

Now, if you want to step out in faith, here’s something that can help you.

Same scenario:
There is a man sitting on the sidewalk with his back against a store front. His clothes are ragged and dirty. He has a scent that makes your nose wrinkle. He has taken his shoes off, no doubt because they are too small for his feet. He needs them to walk in, and to keep his feet warm at night, therefore he keeps them nearby. His hand reaches out to you, and in it is a tin cup. He is asking for help.

This time you put on your Armor of God. An Armor of God is simply an armor of Angels. Your Angels are surrounding you, protecting you and who you are with. That means the panhandler, too.

Then — no questions asked — you bless him in your mind, and help him in any way you can.

You don’t wonder if he’s going to buy drugs with the money. You don’t wonder if he’s going to buy liquor or beer. You don’t listen to others who say he is going to do any of those things.

You are not doing this for them, you are not doing this for him, you are doing this for the Godchild within him. You have stepped out in faith, faith that God is taking care of you both. You are not doing this for yourself, you are doing this for the Godchild within you. Everything happens for a purpose.

Keep your eyes on God, not on the world. Next time you see or meet someone in need Do this — and let God help you both. Do what God leads you to do and then expect Him  to do what you can’t do!