Article Summary:  Many followers of Christ understand the biblical mandate for helping the poor -- and desire to do so.  Standing in the way of this desire is the recognition that extreme poverty is a problem of enormous dimension -- our efforts to help seem tiny by comparison, leading to a sense of futility.  How can our gifts possibly have an impact?  A look at Scripture yields two key truths which we can rely upon as we faithfully obey His command to show tangible compassion towards the world’s least and last.  First is the truth that God is present and active in the fight against extreme poverty; we are not alone in this battle, and indeed, He purposes to win it.  Second is the truth that He is a God of multiplication, multiplying the gifts of the faithful many times over to accomplish His purposes. Relying upon these two scriptural truths, our part is to simply and faithfully bring what we have.  Our gifts, whether they be time, talent, or treasure, do indeed matter – to those whose lives are changed, and to our great God, whose hand is upon all...