God's poor are the deserving poor -- those who have worked as hard as they could, practised thrift and gone hungry rather that get into debt. Unfortunately, life tends to be nine parts cards one part skill, so, with good intent and effort it is still possible to find yourself in dire straits. Bad luck can affect anyone.
The Devil's poor are those who are feckless, careless with money, spendthrift and expect others to carry and keep them when they have lost the lot. If they have money they squander it on drink, drugs, gambling and any other vice that catches their attention. They lack discipline and character and will tend to end up poor no matter what they are given.
Who suffers the most when they have reached rock bottom -- the person who tried, suffered and struggled or the one who merrily indulged to excess? Sadly it would seem to be the person who has put in every effort but still failed. It must be quite difficult to avoid being bitter especially if your neighbour is recounting stories of the excesses that led to his plight.
One can but hope that God takes care of his own, eventually.
Proverbs store the wisdom of ages in short, memorable lines with several layers of meaning. This blog states a weekly proverb and explores its meaning. Sir Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister, war leader, writer, painter, historian, bon viveur, whose mother was a United States citizen, recommended that people lacking formal education to learn proverbs. "The Wisdom of Nations lies in their Proverbs... Collect and learn them". William Penn, founder of the State of Pennsylvania.
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