Compassion for the Weak

Psalm 41:1 “Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.” (NIV)

Although all spiritual gifts are important for me, the most impactful one is the gift of encouragement (Romans 12:8). I love Christians, who encourage me in the Lord, don’t you? A smile and a kind word or a timely phone call or an e-mail, always with a spiritual emphasis, helps to remind me of God’s grace and goodness in that moment. It is so important that we stay aware of the needs of others, and diligently respond to help shoulder their burdens and encourage their hearts in times of their stress and pain. We know how important it is to have someone there just to hold our hand and say a few positive words of hope by pointing us to our God, who is the source of all love, mercy, and help in this world.

The ministry of encouragement becomes ever so important to us when we have been on the receiving end of the encouragement during our tough times, so we fully appreciate the importance of the gift of encouragement. Recall what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:4, that since God has comforted us in our distress, we then are ready to comfort others in theirs. Never waste the tough times we go through, because God wants us to learn from them and recycle our learning and God’s love into the lives of others. That’s how God intends for this virtuous cycle of encouragement to work out. God encourages me so that I might encourage others. It is as simple as that. Never allow God’s encouragement to stop with you: You must pass it on!

Psalm 41 is a reminder of just how important it is to rely on God’s support and power during tough times, and then to practice that same gift of encouragement in the lives of others. In this psalm, David is in one of the darkest holes of his life as Absalom, his son, has led a rebellion against his own father, King David. David’s chief advisor, Ahithophel, has also deserted him and was advising Absalom. Although David brought this dark moment on himself as a result of his affair with Bathsheba, this event sets up as an example to all of us to never ever give up on God, and when we come out of the storm he will use us to encourage others going through similar storms of life.

Our devotional text speaks to the great truth that God’s blessing is reserved for those who have regard for the weak, and God will deliver from trouble those who have regard for them. One of the great ingredients of the Christian’s character is the humility to accept the help of God and of others when we are weak. When we accept God’s help and then return it to others, God will deliver us from trouble. What kind of trouble? In these verses, it is the trouble of sickness and the trouble of hate and opposition from others to mention a few. Always remember when you walk into that hospital or nursing home, that you are from God and that you are there to lift up and encourage in the name of the Lord those who are ill and in pain, and not to bring them low with a discouraging attitude. If you will persevere in the ministry of encouragement, then, God will see you through by delivering you from your trouble, because you honored Jesus Christ by “regarding” the weak.

THANK YOU, MY FATHER, BY ALLOWING ME TO SERVE IN YOUR MINISTRY OF ENCOURAGEMENT, AND ALWAYS GIVE ME A LOVE AND COMPASSION FOR THE WEAK IN THIS WORLD. O LORD, DELIVER ME FROM ALL MY TROUBLES. AMEN!

Article source Mike White @ Summit church of Christ