GOD CARES FOR THE DEFENSELESS

GOD USES US TO TOUCH LIVES FOR HIS SAKE

Psalm 68:1-3

God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;

and those who hate him shall flee before him!

As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;

as wax melts before fire,

so the wicked shall perish before God!

But the righteous shall be glad;

they shall exult before God;

they shall be jubilant with joy!

As David begins this psalm of praise and remembrance of God’s goodness to His people, he is expectant of the mighty works that He will continue to perform, according to His character and promises.

God has always triumphed, has never lost His majestic control, and will always bring about His eternal purposes. The wicked will always be eventually defeated! Wax will always melt when in contact with fire. The wicked have no chance of resisting the unsurpassable power of God. The righteous will rejoice in due time.

Dear friends, even though you may be facing some extremely difficult situations, or have some enemies who are oppressing you, God would never want you to forget that His power is overwhelming. When God chooses to display His power, they will melt away like wax. Our pain and troubles are very temporary. God shall arise.

Psalm 68:4-6

Sing to God, sing praises to his name;

lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;

his name is the LORD;

exult before him!

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows

is God in his holy habitation.

God settles the solitary in a home;

he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,

but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

The children of Israel are invited to praise the Lord. He is totally aware of what is going on in the most difficult of places. His eyes are upon those who are suffering. The orphans, the widows, those who are defenseless, are not forgotten by the LORD. Yes, the God who created heaven and earth by His word, who sustains life by His will, is aware of their needs and cares deeply for them. God provides for those who are alone and He frees the prisoners.

God lives in a holy place, His holiness is offended by all sin, and so the wickedness of man will not go unjudged. God had proven Himself providential with the children of Israel many times, and would continue to do it. His love for the abandoned is still true today. In fact, James reminds us of our responsibilities in this area.

James 1:27

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

God expects His own to be pure, to live a life that is pleasing to Him morally, and to care for those He cares for. There is no special merit gained by these actions; they need to be the normal consequence of genuine faith. Faith that comes from hearing the Word of God needs to transform the way we live. This is exactly what James states in the preceding verses.

James 1:22-25

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Our care for the needy should begin in our local churches, where we can easily be attentive to the needs of our fellow believers.

Galatians 6:9-10

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Dear friends, today divorce has multiplied the number of those who do not experience the reality of a normal, God-planned family. Their needs might not be always physical, but children are growing up without the care of a mom and a dad. Women, many times, are left to carry a burden that is very great.

God cares for those who are alone, living through this kind of pain. Would you take the time today to pray for those you know are struggling through this kind of difficulty? Would you ask God to use you to encourage them?

Maybe there is a widow or a widower who would be greatly encouraged by an invitation to a meal, or a card reminding them that you are praying for them… The list could go on, but I know that as we pray, God will bring particular people to mind and ways to help them see His care, through us.

This psalm invites us to praise and rejoice in the God who cares deeply. May we be more like our God and may our lives portray the attitudes and produce the works that are pleasing to Him.