The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 41:1-3,
"Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble. 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. The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness."
Is David suggesting in this psalm that we can earn good things from God by doing good works- in this case having regard for the weak? Look at what David says is in store for those who do so:
Deliverance in times of trouble, verse 1.
Protection and preservation, verse 2.
Regarded as blessed, verse 2.
Kept from the desires of their foes, verse 2.
Healed when sick, verse 3.
Who wouldn't want these things? All it takes is regard for the weak! Would you implement a regard for the weak in your life if you could get those things from God?
It is just this attitude and outlook that inspires within me an attitude that is not so much a regard for do-gooders. I find religious do-gooders to be motivated by self-promotion. A quid pro quo approach to God. If I do all the right things, then God has "promised" to reward me for my hard work and effort.
"Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble. 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. The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness."
Is David suggesting in this psalm that we can earn good things from God by doing good works- in this case having regard for the weak? Look at what David says is in store for those who do so:
Deliverance in times of trouble, verse 1.
Protection and preservation, verse 2.
Regarded as blessed, verse 2.
Kept from the desires of their foes, verse 2.
Healed when sick, verse 3.
Who wouldn't want these things? All it takes is regard for the weak! Would you implement a regard for the weak in your life if you could get those things from God?
It is just this attitude and outlook that inspires within me an attitude that is not so much a regard for do-gooders. I find religious do-gooders to be motivated by self-promotion. A quid pro quo approach to God. If I do all the right things, then God has "promised" to reward me for my hard work and effort.
This is not the gospel. All the hard work and effort was done on the cross of Jesus Christ. He secured God's mercy for us. He secured a righteous standing before God for us. He secured all the blessings that will come to us as co-heirs with him.
As I read the Scriptures, we lack the ability to establish ourselves before God as those who deserve his blessings, his gifts to us. When we embrace Jesus Christ in faith we inherit God's blessings and gifts based on the work Jesus Christ did, by presenting himself as a sacrifice of atonement on the cross.
As I read the Scriptures, we lack the ability to establish ourselves before God as those who deserve his blessings, his gifts to us. When we embrace Jesus Christ in faith we inherit God's blessings and gifts based on the work Jesus Christ did, by presenting himself as a sacrifice of atonement on the cross.
So, what to make of David's observation here? As a buddy of mine often says, "Very simple!" Those who have regard for the weak manifest the activity of God's Spirit in their lives. Anyone who does so certainly enjoys God's blessings.
Go back and read the beatitudes Jesus gave in his sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:3-12. Take the challenge to read them, not from the standpoint as a laundry list of things to do to get God's blessings (as has been promoted in so many ill-informed sermons), but as observations of those things that manifest a heart that has given itself to God (with the resultant expression in life), and found God's favor as a result. The reality is, it is a born again heart, filled with the Holy Spirit that is seen doing those things. The beatitudes are observations of a heart given to God, not a punch-list of things to do.
Being a do-gooder will never ingratiate one to God to secure his blessings. Being a lover of God does so.
A blog with my ruminations over the years can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know..
A blog with my ruminations over the years can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know..
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