Thoughts for the Day

Happy are those who consider the poor;
the Lord delivers them in the day of trouble.
The Lord protects them and keeps them alive;
they are called happy in the land.
You do not give them up to the will of their enemies.
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed;
in their illness you heal all their infirmities.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Psalm 41 seems to show us the internal thinking of David on the question of who is a righteous person and what distinguishes them from other people. We might say, how might a person have to live to be called “a good person”, and what are their characteristics? Righteous people he says are usually generous to those who are poor, so he opens with the phrase “Happy are those who consider the poor”. Such people are likely to be blessed by God, for surely the Lord is likely to “deliver them in the day of trouble, and protect them and keep them alive.”

But who are the poor? It soon becomes clear that the word for ‘poor’ is meant in a much wider sense than we might use today. Today we talk about those unable to afford to put their heating on or buy food as being ‘poor’, but the psalmist uses it in the sense of being weak or helpless or one who is at their lowest ebb. The Evangelist Frederick Meyer, a 19th century evangelist, explained this by saying, “There are plenty around you, who, if not poor in the things of this world, are poor in love and hope and the knowledge of God.” It seems David has offered us a much bigger answer as to who are the righteous and who are the poor.

But can we define the man or woman who is righteous today? I think we can. Such a person is one who trusts God; they will be willing to give from their own resources knowing that God has their back for their future. This person will be kind to those in need; they will help those who likely will not help them in return; they will have a generous heart; and they will give for the other person’s good, not to make themself feel good.

Heavenly Father,
teach us to be generous to others -
to give them our time,
and use our talents
or our money to help those in need.
May we never forget how generous
You have been to us,
and continue to reflect that in our life.
Amen.