Verse: Psalm 41:1-3
1 Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.
2 The Lord protects and preserves them—
they are counted among the blessed in the land—
he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.
3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed
and restores them from their bed of illness.
Devotion
Sometimes caring for those who are hurting in our communities can be a thankless job. At our church we try to lean towards the disadvantaged in our community. We believe that the Gospel is powerful when it is shown through action. But the truth is that caring for people who are battling poverty, homelessness, and hunger is hard work. And it's often unseen.
The encouragement we can find in this Psalm, though, is that God sees us. There is a blessing from God for those who care for the weak. All through the library of the Scriptures we see a picture of God who defends the defenseless, is a father to the fatherless, and commands his people to care for the foreigner, the poor, the widows, and the hurting. This is who God is, and it is part of our mandate as followers of Jesus.
This morning, my encouragement to you today is two fold. First, is your faith overflowing in care for those who are hurting? Have you been able to find a way to connect your faith to action? If not, ask the Lord what the next step is for you. And second, if you are feeling discouraged in the care you are offering to others, like maybe it doesn't matter, or nobody really appreciates it. Take a moment this morning and hear the Lord saying that you are blessed. That he sees you. That he is proud of you. That you are, in fact, ministering directly to him.
Prayer
I pray that you would encourage me this morning in the areas where I am serving others. Give me perseverance and strength!