17 June 2016
Helping the Helpless
Psalm 68:4-5
Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the Lord— rejoice in his presence! Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
This is why God is to be celebrated; he is not mean. This is God: Father to the fatherless and Defender of Widows. He is concerned for those who are left out and cannot take care of themselves. He is full of compassion. Without God, the world wouldn’t even know what compassion is. He is the one who displays it and requires the same for all who follow him.
Psalm 103:8 Describes God...
The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
Ephesians 4:32 Describes God’s instruction to us...
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
James even summarizes Christianity like this...
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. Christianity can be consolidated into just three things? Wow! And LOOK! Two of the three things is being concerned with what concerns God.
But why orphans & widows? I think it’s because that is something EVERYONE can do something about. I get overwhelmed by the news because I have no voice. I get overwhelmed by missionary news letters because I have no money to travel. And I get overwhelmed by our embarrassing government because I have no authority to make any logical changes for them. God MUST take care of these things for me because I am powerless to do so. But, we do not have to spend a lot of money, travel to another country or win all the wars in order to help the helpless. They are right next door, in my own town, or a friend on Fb – a discouraged person with no hope, a widow with no defender, or an orphan with no love. What is most precious to God’s heart and what he wants from me is actually something I can do... Care for orphans and widows and refuse to let the world corrupt me. I’m glad solving all the world’s problems is not on this list!
Dear God,
I love your character. You want to bring everyone together into your Family, and so PEOPLE are your priority, not government and taxes. And you want me to extend love and compassion like you do because that’s what I’m meant for. Thank you for the relief that comes with knowing I am perfectly capable of doing what you want me to do, and that you don’t expect me to right all the wrongs of the world. Please bless and sustain Shirley, JoAnn, Donna, Betty, and Sandra today. Please provide for them and protect them, encourage them, and help them not to be lonely today. I love you and thank you, my great and compassionate Father, and I pray in your Son’s name, according to your good will. Amen.
Helping the Helpless
Psalm 68:4-5
Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the Lord— rejoice in his presence! Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
This is why God is to be celebrated; he is not mean. This is God: Father to the fatherless and Defender of Widows. He is concerned for those who are left out and cannot take care of themselves. He is full of compassion. Without God, the world wouldn’t even know what compassion is. He is the one who displays it and requires the same for all who follow him.
Psalm 103:8 Describes God...
The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
Ephesians 4:32 Describes God’s instruction to us...
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
James even summarizes Christianity like this...
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. Christianity can be consolidated into just three things? Wow! And LOOK! Two of the three things is being concerned with what concerns God.
But why orphans & widows? I think it’s because that is something EVERYONE can do something about. I get overwhelmed by the news because I have no voice. I get overwhelmed by missionary news letters because I have no money to travel. And I get overwhelmed by our embarrassing government because I have no authority to make any logical changes for them. God MUST take care of these things for me because I am powerless to do so. But, we do not have to spend a lot of money, travel to another country or win all the wars in order to help the helpless. They are right next door, in my own town, or a friend on Fb – a discouraged person with no hope, a widow with no defender, or an orphan with no love. What is most precious to God’s heart and what he wants from me is actually something I can do... Care for orphans and widows and refuse to let the world corrupt me. I’m glad solving all the world’s problems is not on this list!
Dear God,
I love your character. You want to bring everyone together into your Family, and so PEOPLE are your priority, not government and taxes. And you want me to extend love and compassion like you do because that’s what I’m meant for. Thank you for the relief that comes with knowing I am perfectly capable of doing what you want me to do, and that you don’t expect me to right all the wrongs of the world. Please bless and sustain Shirley, JoAnn, Donna, Betty, and Sandra today. Please provide for them and protect them, encourage them, and help them not to be lonely today. I love you and thank you, my great and compassionate Father, and I pray in your Son’s name, according to your good will. Amen.
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