Weak

DEVOTION

PSALMS

WEAK

Ps 41

Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. 2 The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. 3 The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.

4 I said, "O LORD, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you." 5 My enemies say of me in malice," When will he die and his name perish?" 6 Whenever one comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it abroad.

7 All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying, 8 "A vile disease has beset him; he will never get up from the place where he lies." 9 Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

10 But you, O LORD, have mercy on me; raise me up, that I may repay them. 11 I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me. 12 In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.

13 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

NIV

Much of this psalm can be seen as prophecy about Jesus. How the Pharisees spoke with malice about Jesus, how they wanted to kill him and wanted his name to perish. The part of the close friend, Judas, sharing bread and then lifted his heel against Jesus. The part about God having mercy and raising him up. However this is also all about how David felt during those times when Saul was trying desperately to kill him. We can also glean some truth for ourselves out of this psalm. We need to consider if we regard the weak. Does that mean the physically weak? Could it mean the spiritually weak? The Hebrew word could be used either way as it means to be weak or thin. Some translations used it to mean poor. But then poor could mean in the material sense or in the spiritual sense. In either case the weak are those who have less of whatever we have. Then as we perceive a person is weak, then we have the call to regard, to consider, to help them. That is of course if we want to be blessed and have God deliver us when we are in trouble. This would imply that we cannot be an island onto ourselves. That could be applied individually or as the body of Christ. We cannot live in a cocoon, a bubble, or a vacuum, either not being aware of those in need, again either physically or spiritually, or being aware and doing nothing. If we are living in the realm of God, loving him with every fiber of our being and loving our neighbor as ourselves then we will be involved in this regarding of the weak, we will be giving them strength. The enemy is always at our gate, trying to bash it down, trying to destroy us, trying to harm our name, our cause, our strength, our faith, and/or anything he can use to weaken us and cast us upon our sick, or death bed. But God will sustain us, he will lift us up, he will protect us least we dash our foot upon a stone. God will always prevail if we trust in him. We fail when we try to trust ourselves, our own strength, abilities, skills, education, wealth, or spiritual prowess. When we see ourselves as the weak, then he who is strong, lifts us up and gives us strength for each day and to consider others who need his strength. When we put our complete trust in him, we are indeed blessed. He upholds us and brings us into his presence forever. This is the everlasting forever and ever, God upholding the weak.