The LORD Is Their Help

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:

1        Praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD, my soul.

2        I will praise the LORD all my life;

    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

3        Do not put your trust in princes,

    in human beings, who cannot save.

4        When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;

    on that very day their plans come to nothing.

5        Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,

    whose hope is in the LORD their God.

6        He is the Maker of heaven and earth,

    the sea, and everything in them—

    he remains faithful forever.

7        He upholds the cause of the oppressed

    and gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets prisoners free,

8            the LORD gives sight to the blind,

the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,

    the LORD loves the righteous.

9        The LORD watches over the foreigner

    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,

    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

10      The LORD reigns forever,

    your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the LORD. (Psalm 146, NIV)

REFLECTIONS:

Is this your psalm? Is this a song you could sing, describing God's work in your life? I can imagine Elijah singing it. He has learned that mankind, especially those with great power, cannot be trusted. God is the one to trust for help and hope. God, who has created all things, will send the birds to feed him, provide shelter in hidden valleys, and sustain him with water from flooded streams.

Do you hear the widow of Zarephath? She can sing praise to God as long as she has life. Indeed, because she has life! Her life is a gift—given and sustained by God. The God of Jacob, has seen her, provided food, and upheld her son.

Another widow has yet to sing (we'll read about her tomorrow). She lives in Nain and will soon sing this same psalm. Her son, freed from the bonds of death, will be raised to live again. She will not die with him; instead, she will see her life extend through his into the next generation.

Is this your psalm? Can you begin and end a story in your life with praise to God? Can you sing out, through times of desolation, sorrow, and fear? Do you hear God singing to you the sound and song of God's presence, even in the midst of those times? Do you remember times where justice was granted, release was given, and eyes were opened?

Just as God provided for Elijah, the widows, and their sons, so God provides for you and me. It may not be obvious. God may come as a flock of ravens or as an old fellow asking for a drink of water—but God provides. If you wonder about the truth of that statement, just start singing.

PRAYER:

Lord of all, you have given my life the song of your presence. Help me form the words to sing it. Help me to sing out from deep places of my spirit, lifting my voice and my life in praise to you. You are my help. You are my hope. You are the God in whom I trust.

WHO AM I?

I am Tres Sansom, and I am so grateful for God's companionship throughout the ups and downs of life. For much of my life, I kept God at a distance. Not intentionally, of course. But my relationship with God centered almost entirely on the things that took place at church on Sunday morning and Wednesday evening Bible study. God was kept in a neat little religious box. I would pray to him. I would look to him for help. I would give him my tithes and offerings. But I never considered the idea that he wanted to walk with me. It never entered my mind that he had created me to walk in fellowship with him. Thankfully, God brought some folks into my life that showed me the truth. They taught me, through their words and their example, that God designed me for much more than a "religious" relationship. They helped me to see that God desired to be a part of every aspect of my life. They helped me to dream of a different way of life. And, eventually, God graciously enabled me to live a more "open" life—open in the sense that I became increasingly aware of his presence throughout my daily life. I began to look to him for help and provision, not just in the big things but in the little details of life. I began to place my hope in him more consistently, regardless of what life looked like around me. And I increasingly began to trust in God—resting confidently and contently in his gracious presence. And the song I sing today is that this life in fellowship with God is life indeed—"the life that is truly life" (1 Timothy 6:17-19).