Psalm 41 - A Helping Hand

Psalm 41 🔊 1Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. 2The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. 3The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. 4I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee. 5Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish? 6And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it. 7All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt. 8An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more. 9Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. 10But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them. 11By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. 12And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever. 13Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

Today's Scripture Meaning God's care for his people. (1-4) The treachery of David's enemies. (5-13) Verses 1-4: The people of God are not free from poverty, sickness, or outward affliction, but the Lord will consider their case, and send due supplies. From his Lord's example the believer learns to consider his poor and afflicted brethren. This branch of godliness is usually recompensed with temporal blessings. But nothing is so distressing to the contrite believer, as a fear or sense of the Divine displeasure, or of sin in his heart. Sin is the sickness of the soul; pardoning mercy heals it, renewing grace heals it, and for this spiritual healing we should be more earnest than for bodily health. Verses 5-13: We complain, and justly, of the want of sincerity, and that there is scarcely any true friendship to be found among men; but the former days were no better. One particularly, in whom David had reposed great confidence, took part with his enemies. And let us not think it strange, if we receive evil from those we suppose to be friends. Have not we ourselves thus broken our words toward God? We eat of his bread daily, yet lift up the heel against him. But though we may not take pleasure in the fall of our enemies, we may take pleasure in the making vain their designs. When we can discern the Lord's favour in any mercy, personal or public, that doubles it. If the grace of God did not take constant care of us, we should not be upheld. But let us, while on earth, give heartfelt assent to those praises which the redeemed on earth and in heaven render to their God and Saviour.

Today's Scripture Application Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue in the Book of Psalm with Chapter 41. In our text today we see a theme of God's mercy when feeling sick or abandoned and how God does not leave us but rather stay by our side. In making application we see that the Lord will never leave us and how the Lord blesses those who bless others, especially the poor and needy. Today we see many in need and the Lord would have us to see them as he does. To have compassion on them. Not so much a hand out but a helping hand to get back on their feet and getting involved in their lives. I love the saying of give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. How about you? How do you see the poor and needy? Do you help them? Let us learn from our Psalm and text today to remember that the Lord gives mercy to needy and we are to reach out and give them a helping hand as this is the heart of God.

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