“He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker; but he that honoreth him hath mercy on the poor.” Proverbs 14:31
Today’s Christian daily devotional
“Skylar to the office.” The DJ makes this mundane announcement while a girl continues to seductively dance onstage.
My plastic heels click while I make my way across the busy showroom.
Navigating past the adult novelty and magazine section, I find the hidden office door in the back.
Knocking twice, I carefully crack it open. The familiar scent of drug store cigar bellows out.
“You wanted to see me?” I step into the tiny room, breathing in the toxic smoke.
My eyes adjust to the harsh florescent lighting that contrasts sharply from the dimly lit showroom I had just emerged from. The bright lights compel me to pull my tight and short dress a bit lower.
“So, what’s your point?” Joey’s eyes watch as the spandex in my dress springs it back into its original position, high on my thigh. “You act as if I haven’t seen you half naked already…” He rolled his office chair closer.
I pretend to lose my balance and take two steps back.
“I have your pictures from the photo shoot.” The manager smirks at my feeble attempt to be modest. His eyes hover at the top of my cleavage.
“Great! I can’t wait to finally see them.” Ignoring his heavy come on, I fiddle with my shoe strap.
Joey was a strip club manager that had some connections. He was friends with a world famous photographer living in Chicago, “Mr. M.”
In the eighties, Mr. M had shot every supermodel that stopped by the Windy City. Joey had arranged for me to have a photo shoot with the prominent Mr. M.
Being a mere stripper at a small club, I was quite aware that working with a legend of this pedigree was a rare and golden opportunity. Not only would it greatly enhance my budding portfolio, but it also gave me an opportunity to rub shoulders with fashion’s elite. Not too shabby for a corn-fed girl from the Midwest.
It had been a month since I had shot with Mr. M and I had yet to see the pictures.
“I couldn’t bring them here, of course. They are much too precious. What if somebody were to steal them?” Joey leans back in his chair, his large hands confidently cupping his head. In his effort to look aristocratic, Joey exposed the stains on the underbelly of his white shirt. This greatly defeated his smug efforts.
Behind him was a large walk-in safe that housed thousands of dollars in unclaimed cash.
“Precious to who?” I wasn’t anybody famous or important and we both knew it.
Joey’s attempt to butter me up had failed and my candor must have caught him off-guard. The look on his face said it all.
It was plain to see that Joey was not trying to “help a poor girl out” like he so nobly insisted. True to the shadowy reputation that preceded him, it was obvious that Joey was looking out for himself and his best interests.
In Proverbs 14:31, the Bible says that God is disgusted with those who take advantaged of the disadvantaged. He grants mercy and blessings to those who are merciful and generous. If you feel like you need to catch a break, remember the promise of Proverbs 14:31. Remember to treat those who don’t have an opportunity or means to bless you with an extra blessing. Just see what happens.
“Dear Heavenly Father,
Sometimes I get so caught up in my self and my own problems; that I forget there are other people out there trying to stay alive and thrive.
Lord, give me a heart of compassion. Christ was so filled with it that He gave His very life for those who screamed, “Crucify Him!”
How much easier is it for me to just be a blessing to those who need it?
Forgive me for my lack of mercy. Bless me to be generous and giving in not only physical needs that should be addressed, but spiritual and emotional needs that I can also help heal.
In Jesus’ precious name, expand my heart with a capacity to love those that I don’t even know, Amen.”
Thank you for reading today’s Christian daily devotional on verses: Proverbs 14:31
Please check back and see what we have for you tomorrow!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan