Psalm 41

A Bible Devotion from Psalm 41

Blessed is He who Considers the Poor

Blessed is he who considers the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, and he will be blessed on the earth; you will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
Psalm 41:1-2, NKJV

On my first read-through of this Psalm, I noticed a complete change in direction between verse 3 and 4. First the Psalmist is blessing those who help the poor and suddenly he is crying out to God to deliver him from his enemies. (Take the time to read all of this Psalm even though I have not reprinted it all in this devotion.) How do these two verses connect?

Who are the poor? God's children are the poor in spirit in a land where they are fugitives. As a fugitive the Christian hides himself in Christ who is his true Protector and Deliverer. When he feels utterly consumed by the world around him, he runs to Christ, asking Him to deliver him from the enemies and trials he faces each day.

Because we understand our need for Christ, we are also to be sensitive to the needs of those around us, whether they be financial, emotional, or just a need of having someone to talk to. We help those around us because Christ is always there to help us. This is not a salvation by works, but rather works that are a result of our salvation.

Thus, the contrast between the believer and the unbeliever could not be more obvious in this Psalm. The unbeliever only cares about himself, and is willing to destroy any (in this case the Psalmist) who dare to oppose him or who keep him from achieving his ultimate goal.

As believers, our thoughts turn to God. It is to Him we owe all of our allegiance. Desires which would normally have led us to achieve great things for our own glory are replaced by a love for God and a desire to serve Him in obedience to His commandments.

Pray today that God will make you aware of the needs of those around you and show you how you can be a help to them.

Next: Psalm 42, Where is Your God

More Devotions on the 41st Psalm from my blog, Daily Bible Devotions

Consider the Poor, verses 1-3

Friends or Enemies, verses 4-9

Before the Face of God, verses 10-13