The Promise To The Righteous
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. Psalm 146:8
Beginning at verse 5 of this Psalm the writer speaks of the activity of God in the lives of his people. He outlines some of the things God does for those who are in need of special help. When we look at JesusÂ’ life on earth we see the type of activity of which the Psalmist speaks. Jesus dared to reach out to bring healing, either by touch or by word, to many around him. The Psalmist goes on to say that persons who experience such intervention by God are happy. Indeed all those persons who were healed by Jesus went away rejoicing. So the Psalm gives assurance that the righteous are loved and will be helped by the Lord, whatever their condition may be.
Beginning at verse 5 of this Psalm the writer speaks of the activity of God in the lives of his people. He outlines some of the things God does for those who are in need of special help. When we look at JesusÂ’ life on earth we see the type of activity of which the Psalmist speaks. Jesus dared to reach out to bring healing, either by touch or by word, to many around him. The Psalmist goes on to say that persons who experience such intervention by God are happy. Indeed all those persons who were healed by Jesus went away rejoicing. So the Psalm gives assurance that the righteous are loved and will be helped by the Lord, whatever their condition may be.
God continues to offer such help and intervention in the lives of the righteous. You can be assured that he hears your calls for help and your cries of anguish. Throughout scripture this assurance comes. Mary said it in the Magnificat: “(He) exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things … He has helped his servant.” (See Luke 2:52-54) Jesus declared that this was his mission: “He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those that are oppressed ….” (Luke 4:18) The Psalms are replete with such thoughts. In Psalm 107 the writer repeatedly said: “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.” On one such occasion he actually said, “Their hearts were bowed down with hard labour; they fell down, with none to help.” (Ps.107:12-13; see also Ps. 107:6, 19, 28) “Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Ps.34:19)
Therefore, you too can be confident that God will respond to your need. You have now seen his action in the lives of others; he can do it for you as well. In fact he asks, as Jesus did the blind man, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51) So tell him what your need is and watch him fulfill the same. Follow Paul’s instruction to the Christians at Phillipi: “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil.4:6) You, too, can experience that ‘the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down’ because ‘the Lord loves the righteous’.
Prayer: Guide me, O Lord, to the place of putting my trust in you. Remind me that you love me. Assure me of the surety of your word, that ‘no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly’. Therefore teach me patience to await the fulfillment of your promise, or the answer to my requests, in your time and manner. Amen.
Therefore, you too can be confident that God will respond to your need. You have now seen his action in the lives of others; he can do it for you as well. In fact he asks, as Jesus did the blind man, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51) So tell him what your need is and watch him fulfill the same. Follow Paul’s instruction to the Christians at Phillipi: “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil.4:6) You, too, can experience that ‘the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down’ because ‘the Lord loves the righteous’.
Prayer: Guide me, O Lord, to the place of putting my trust in you. Remind me that you love me. Assure me of the surety of your word, that ‘no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly’. Therefore teach me patience to await the fulfillment of your promise, or the answer to my requests, in your time and manner. Amen.
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