Psalm 41:1 – 3
1Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;
2the LORD protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
3The LORD sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness you restore him to full health.
The Lord delivers from his troubles, the one who considers the poor and needy. This cannot mean that those who help the poor are never going to have troubles of various sorts. And it cannot mean that all his troubles immediately disappear. A simple consideration of the life of Jesus, the life of Paul and the plain teaching of Scripture confirms this.
What does it mean then? Your troubles will not prevent you from helping the poor. See verse 2 – the Lord keeps him alive – alive to continue on in his good work of helping the poor. This of course, does not mean that he will never die. He will die, but not until the Lord says so and not until he finishes the work God called him to do. (Or until God takes the work, or the person, away, for failing to do it!)
Verse 3 – God sustains him on his bed of sickness. Sickness will come but the saint who loves his neighbour (shown in helping the poor) will be sustained on it. The verse does not say “will not get sick” or “will be healed”. It means that even in sickness, which may come and stay, this believer will not surrender to despair.
What causes you to give up in the good works that God, in His mercy has allowed you to participate in? Troubles are not in our lives to keep us from serving our Lord. Certainly, some come that lay us aside for awhile or that force us into different types of service. But we are in the service of the King until He says we are all done.
Today, do some kindness to someone because God has put you in a place where you can. Don’t let your troubles stop you from bringing glory to Him through your love for your neighbour.
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