Q: God clearly has a heart for the poor, but why does poverty exist in the first place?
At its core, poverty is the result of sin (i.e. human selfishness & pride). Generous Giving Ministries gives a solid answer (they also answer a host of questions about poverty and suffering). They answer your question as follows:
"Sometimes we know, and sometimes we don’t. The Bible points to several reasons why God, in his sovereignty, allows poverty in the world. Some kinds of poverty are directly related to our own behavior. First, the Lord sent poverty upon the children of Israel as a punishment for their brazen covenant-breaking (Deuteronomy 28:48). Second, poverty is the natural consequence of laziness, which is the neglect of the responsibilities God gives us (Proverbs 6:10-11; 14:23). We bring this sort of poverty on ourselves. But on the other hand, some kinds of poverty have nothing to do with our behavior; they simply happen to us (e.g., the plight of millions of people in Third World nations). In fact, many instances of poverty are manifestly unjust. In these cases, God allows poverty in his mysterious providence, ultimately for his own glory (John 9:1-3). Here we must confess along with the Scriptures, “The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts” (1 Samuel 2:7), even if we cannot point to a satisfactory reason. And whatever the reasons, we know that part of God’s gospel is that he will one day redress all these injustices."
Josh McDowell also provides insight in this article (it addressed the bigger question of evil/suffering, not just poverty, but is helpful nonetheless).
"Sometimes we know, and sometimes we don’t. The Bible points to several reasons why God, in his sovereignty, allows poverty in the world. Some kinds of poverty are directly related to our own behavior. First, the Lord sent poverty upon the children of Israel as a punishment for their brazen covenant-breaking (Deuteronomy 28:48). Second, poverty is the natural consequence of laziness, which is the neglect of the responsibilities God gives us (Proverbs 6:10-11; 14:23). We bring this sort of poverty on ourselves. But on the other hand, some kinds of poverty have nothing to do with our behavior; they simply happen to us (e.g., the plight of millions of people in Third World nations). In fact, many instances of poverty are manifestly unjust. In these cases, God allows poverty in his mysterious providence, ultimately for his own glory (John 9:1-3). Here we must confess along with the Scriptures, “The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts” (1 Samuel 2:7), even if we cannot point to a satisfactory reason. And whatever the reasons, we know that part of God’s gospel is that he will one day redress all these injustices."
The site also answers the following question: Why does God entrust wealth only to a few when so much poverty exists? Though no one knows why some are rich and others are poor, one thing is for certain: God entrusts wealth to the few so that they will share it with many others (2 Cor. 9:11). If you are a follower of Jesus, your responsibility is to be generous with your blessings! Only those who are self-righteous, lazy and selfish complain about poverty without doing something about it.
Here are some practical ways that I have personally found helpful:
1. Consider your purchases wisely. More-often-than-not you are buying for your own satisfaction rather than need.
2. Participate in group activities like the 30 Hour Famine & Samaritan's Purse.
3. Go on a Short-Term Missions Trip (Every year, our youth group goes to Belize, Central America & Urban Promise Toronto. Our church also sends teams to China, Africa and Europe)
4. Instead of receiving gifts for your birthday or Christmas, ask friends/family to donate it to an organization of your choice. When my wife and I were engaged, we asked our friends to donate to the Canadian Bible Society. When our son was born, we asked money to given to our missionary friends in Belize.
5. Instead of giving your friend a birthday gift or Christmas present, donate to an organization on their behalf. I know families that buy animals (goats, cows, chickens) for poor families (through World Vision) instead of gifts every Christmas.
These are just some suggestions, but it's a start.
Josh McDowell also provides insight in this article (it addressed the bigger question of evil/suffering, not just poverty, but is helpful nonetheless).
[Answered by Pastor HM]
