Sunday Devotional 2nd of April 2023
by Bruce Billington
We are continuing to explore the knowledge of God as expressed in the Psalms. This week we will explore Psalm 41 – a Psalm of David.
1 – How blessed is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble. 2 The LORD will protect him and keep him alive, And he shall be called blessed upon the earth; And do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. 3 The LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed. In his illness, You restore him to health.
We should note that the wonderful promises given to us here are conditional upon our response to the helpless.
Who should we consider as being described as the helpless? Surely, they are those in society who lack enough money, substance, health, or mental ability to live above a consistent level of subsistence. It is these people that are frequently scorned or shunned by society (including by many in the church).
It would do well for those of us who believe these people are the governments problem, to understand that the jurisdiction God places the responsibility upon for them, is not the government but the church. That is His people – you and me. It is ultimately our responsibility to make sure everyone in the community that we live in, is able to have food, shelter, and sufficient clothing for the climate we live in.
That is not to say that it is wrong for the government to provide for these folk – but as we all know – the goal of helping the helpless is, whenever possible, to bring them back to a place where they can fulfill their calling in life. As is clearly obvious, this is not something the government is qualified or able to do. It requires wisdom to understand the cause of the downtrodden and the Scriptures teach that wisdom is given to those who fear God – His church.
This requires more than just giving these people some loose change and then go on our way. As His representatives on earth, He expects us to take up the cause of the downtrodden and seek to improve their lot in life. It is the role of His community (it cannot and should not fall to any one person), to enquire as to the reason(s) for their situation, find solutions for them, and help them embrace a new way of living that will move them out of their situation of poverty or helplessness.
These verses make the promise that because we thought of and helped others, God will think of and help us in our own times of trouble. Such times come upon every person, and when we face them, we can turn to God with confidence knowing not only that He will bring us out of it but also that He will make cause such experiences to work together for good in our lives (Romans 8:28).
Verse 2 tells us that God Himself will protect us and keep us alive and that we will be blessed. Spurgeon says this,
Here is the portion of all those who are made like their Lord, they bless, and they shall be blessed, they preserve and shall be preserved, they watch over the lives of others and they themselves shall be precious in the sight of the Lord.
What we learn through all of this is that God’s blessings are not automatically bestowed on His people. He looks for those who endeavour to conform to His principles that are related to expressing the Kingdom of God on earth – these include expressions of righteousness, holiness, love, and justice. We should always be aware that God cares for the oppressed and delights to see His children concerned with those in need.
We should conclude by reiterating that although no one person can deal with every situation they come across, neither should any of us consider ourselves exempt from shouldering the burden of the lowly and downcast. We should ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us, what our actions should be in the many different encounters that come across our pathway. Proverbs 3:27 offers some good advice here.
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it.
God bless you.
Bruce Billington