Wednesday: Walking With the Lord
As we near the end of the book of Psalms, the exclamations of praise seem to grow in crescendo after crescendo. The final five psalms begin with the simple and direct command to “Praise the LORD!” but the first of these—Psalm 146—has a particular focus on God’s concern for the poor and oppressed as a primary reason for such praise.
Read Psalm 146:1-10. What is the message here to us? What is God saying, especially in Psalm 146:5-9?
mage © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
As surely as God is Creator of this world (see Ps. 146:6), this Psalm describes God’s continuing work in the world as judge, provider, liberator, healer, helper, and defender—all of these focused on people in specific need of these kinds of help. It is an inspiring vision of what God does and seeks to do in our lives, in our communities, and in our world.
Sometimes we think of caring for the needy as something we ought to do because God said so. But Psalm 146 says this is something God already does—and we are invited to join with Him. When we work against poverty, oppression, and disease, we are truly working with God and His purposes. What greater privilege can there be than partnering with God in fulfilling something as inspiring as Psalm 146?
But there are also benefits for us. Christians often talk about their search for God and their desire to have a closer relationship with Him. Yet, verses like Psalm 146:7-9, and so many others throughout the Bible, indicate to us that one way to find God is to join in with what He does. So, if He is working to lift up the poor, sick, and oppressed, as Psalm 146 says He is, we should be working with Him, as well. “Christ came to this earth to walk and work among the poor and suffering. They received the greatest share of His attention. And today, in the person of His children, He visits the poor and needy, relieving woe and alleviating suffering.
Take away suffering and need, and we should have no way of understanding the mercy and love of God, no way of knowing the compassionate, sympathetic heavenly Father. Never does the gospel put on an aspect of greater loveliness than when it is brought to the most needy and destitute regions”. – Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 226.
| What has been your experience in how we become close to God by serving others? |
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When I am driving I have selective vision. I see the road in front of me and cars moving near me that are likely to have an effect on where I drive. I drove 1000km yesterday on one of the busiest highways in Australia and the fact that I am still alive is due in part to my selective vision. I had no time to watch birds (although when we stopped for breakfast I managed to photograph a beautiful Black-shouldered kite), nor did I get to see much of the scenery. Selective vision is important to us, but it is also important to have a wider vision at the appropriate time and see what is around us.
Our spiritual life can have selective vision. We can fix our eyes on Jesus and focus on him. That is a good thing, but we also need a wider vision of seeing the needs of others around us. Our church has a wide variety of programs for helping the poor and needy. In my own area, I can think of several programs - food distribution, activities for youth. But, how many of us hide behind the activities of the church to avoid doing something for ourselves? Are we so focused on Sabbath School, or doctrinal discussion, or church politics that we miss the needs of those sitting near us in our local congregation? Maybe we should try non-selective vision as an adjunct to our selective vision.
Observation
Hello brothers and sisters.
This lesson is about the least of these and the clear message is that we are being called to help the needy and bring them to Christ.
Last Sabbath I visited a church and they discussed the lesson in the whole afternoon but the focus was don't do this on sabbath and the least of these nobody talked about them.
But they were there right in front of us. One young man without shoes,wearing a torn trouser without a zip and an old T-shirts used to get in and out of the church.
When it was time to go home,a well dressed man approached me and told me about what he was going through. He didn't have money for the next meal neither did he have money to bring his family to the church in the morning. I gave him what I had.
We need to do something. Please open your eyes and the needy are right there in front of you. Just do something no matter how little it is. Start with those in the church then neighbours then the whole world.
May God bless you and help you to do something for the least of these today.
Have a blessed Wednesday.
Amen brother, we need to be doers of the word and not just hearers of the word, that does not mean I believe in righteousness by deeds, absolutly not.
Education
I know many families have been lifted from poverty because of the free Christian education.
Medical work
We have the means to eradicate many of the epidemic facing this world right now, diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol to name a few of the diseases. We can eradicate most of the disease with changing our life style.
Feeding the hungry and clothing the naked - Jesus himself have said, "The poor you will always have with you" Therefore, be compassionate to one another.
Social Justice
Missionary work rebuilds lives - many reject the missionary work because it brings social awareness to the people.
Forgiveness of one another is taught only in the scriptures and it is the only condition taught in the Lord's prayer.
Why I forgave the man who killed my children' - Rwandan genocide
If I ask for people who have helped or who have received and benefited from one another's help this blog would testify to the Love of God.
Many in the world want the charitable work of the Christians but not Christ.
They fail to realize we are nothing without Christ.
It is the love of Christ which compels us to do what we do.
God is Love. Psalms 146: It starts with Praise ye the Lord and ended with, Praise ye the Lord. This Psalm compared two sets, The finite( humans) and The Infinite(Godhead). It also tells us not to put our trust in humans because they will fail us, they can’t do anything for us. Humans are finite, soon dies and is forgotten.
Verse 5- points us to one who we must put our trust in. Praise belongs to the Infinite One. He is Our Helper, Creator, One who doesn’t tell lies, Sustainer, Great Physician etc. The question is asked, Can man by searching find God? The answer is no. Can a lost sheep find his way home? No. In Matt 25. We are told about the Lord coming and separating the sheep from the goats. Also the 10 virgins which we are a part of, what is striking to me is,
The two classes of watchers [the wise and the foolish virgins] represent the two classes who profess to be waiting for their Lord. They are called virgins because they profess a pure faith. By the lamps is represented the word of God. . . . The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
The class represented by the foolish virgins are not hypocrites. They have a regard for the truth, they have advocated the truth, they are attracted to those who believe the truth; but they have not yielded themselves to the Holy Spirit’s working. COL 406–411
All go to church every Sabbath but are we allowing the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see the needs of others. Is there something we can do?
In Cyrus reading sometimes when people accustomed seeing poverty, it becomes a norm to them. Looking in as a visitor you see the gentleman clothing, but that is probably the norm for them. I never know how poverty stricken we were growing up until I am looking back now. Rev 3:14– tells us about who God people are, we are blind but still we think we can see. Many have tunnel vision yet we are unaware.
Newbegin—On the other hand, a problem was facing a Christian school. ( Is there anything like free Christian education) or did it come with a price? Most of the parents were unable to pay all the tuition. They went to the government to ask for help and was told they can help them with the rest every month but parents have to be committed to do voluntary work. They parents were not agreeing with that option so they decided to go to the church to ask they members for help. The church is not a large church and some members work two jobs to make ends meet. What do you think about that thinking? While we are called to help others we have to ask the Holy Spirit for our own guidance.
Is it amazing to God that we almost exclusively interpret "the needy" as those in material poverty? Certainly that is one aspect which a true disciple will not ignore but it is not the main emphasis of Christ's ministry when He was here. Nor will it be the main focus of the glorious 4th angel of Revelation 18.
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD,
That I will send a famine in the land,
Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the LORD" Amos 8:11
We often beat ourselves up with the quote, "Christ's methods alone. . ." MH p 141 Surface readers most often apply that to providing material assistance but if we honestly look at Christ's methods as recorded in the Gospels and amplified in the SOP we find vastly more statements that clearly identify His ministry as a ministry of the Word verses a welfare ministry. Material assistance of course is important but should not be our primary emphasis. Read what EGW says about copying the salvation army. The genuine gospel is the only force that will eradicate poverty and injustice. Yet at least in North America it appears to me we hear a much greater emphasis on the material ministry than we hear on the urgency of sharing in the highest work "we can tell them of Him who is the "chiefest among ten thousand," and the One "altogether lovely." This is the very highest work in which we can employ the talent of speech. It was given to us that we might present Christ as the sin-pardoning Saviour." ChS 119
Interesting concept: “The Bible, indicates to us that one way to find God is to join in with what He does.” When we walk with the Lord in the light of His word, what a glory He sheds on our way. While we do His good will, He abides with us still. What happens when we walk with the Lord in helping those in need? Answer: Not only do we find God, we are blessed with hope in the Lord. “Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is he who has the God of [special revelation to] Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.”
Psalm 146:5 AMPC
David is reminding us of Jacobs face to face encounter with God. Genesis 32:30. I believe that by joining with God in helping the oppressed, we too can have a face to face encounter with God. ‘Walking with the Lord”.