Daily Meditation: "A Holy Blueprint"

SCRIPTURE

The Lord their God, who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. - Psalm 146:7

REFLECTION

As we begin a new week, let’s take a closer look at verses 7 - 9 of the 146th Psalm. The psalmist warns us not to put our trust “in princes” and instead rely on and put our trust in the God of Jacob. The psalmist then gives us a brief blueprint of precisely who that God is and what that God does. That God, our God, is the One who:

“...executes justice for the oppressed;

who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;

the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the strangers;

God upholds the orphan and the widow” (146:7-9)

This is the blueprint, the litmus test, for anyone who would profess to be Christian. If we aren’t doing what is outlined in these two verses, along with Jesus’ instruction to live out the Greatest Commandment and the Love Commandment in John, then we’re doing it wrong.

If such a spirit in the lives of people around us is important to us, we would do well to seek these attributes out in our leaders, those who have influence and impact, and those who guide our young ones and care for our elderly.

This is the reminder of who we’re supposed to be and what we’re supposed to be doing. And especially for those who presume to bear the mantle of “Christian” and seek to be leaders in our midst, we would do well to hold them accountable to the very mandates our Scripture gives us in verses such as these.

PRAYER

God who leads us, may we bear the mantle of our sacred responsibilities laid clearly before us in our Scriptures seriously and expect the same from others.

Amen.