Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
This week’s Psalm speaks to many reasons for praising God. Today Iwould like to focus on just verse 9, “The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin” (Psalm 146:9, ESV). Many nations in our world are dealing with some sort of a refugee crisis. People rightly make an attempt to escape bad situations and seek out a place where they think they can find some level of peace and prosperity. A government will naturally articulate its priorities and responsibilities to its own citizens and those who are appealing for relief. And there is a right role of Christians in urging their government to do what they think is right. However, verse 9 speaks to what is probably a much more personal siatuation.
How do we, as individuals, act as God’s representatives to care for sojourners, widows, and the fatherless? These may well be people from foreign lands or they may be from our own community or neighboring ones. How do we protect their interests? We do it one or two people at a time. As a husband and father would care for the needs of a wife or child, we stand in, helping them find employment, housing, food, and community. Gathered together in the context of the Church we can show love and care for those who suffer from loss. God uses his people as a family for those who have lost their families.
Do we do this perfectly? Not at all. It is not only a complicated task, but it also requires cooperation on the part of those we would desire to help. We will never do it right. But by God’s grace, we can make a difference in some people’s lives, as God’s instruments of care.
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