What does the Bible say about hope for children in poverty?

God loves all people equally. Yet the special place in God’s heart for the poor and vulnerable is evident throughout the Bible (for example: Exodus 22:21-27, Psalm 12:5, 140:12, 146:7-9, Proverbs 19:17, 21:13, Isaiah 3:14-15, 25:4, Luke 1:52-53, James 2:5). God’s compassion is most evident in tender attentiveness toward poor women and children: “You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry” (Exodus 22:22-23). This comes to pass as God hears the cry of Ishmael, son of Hagar, Abraham’s abandoned and abused second wife, when they are near death in the wilderness (Genesis 21:17). Ishmael’s plea for help echoes in the experience of many poor children today. God intervenes to uphold the cause of those who are impoverished and mistreated, as promised in 1 Samuel 2:8: “He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap.” The Bible also teaches that God sometimes judges and tears down the rich. Mary’s Magnificat highlights the social reversal associated with Jesus’ incarnation: God “has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:53). Later, Jesus B O O K