Psalm 146:7-9 – “Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.”
Today’s Psalm reveals to us the heart of God and the things that matter to Him. Knowing what He cares about should help us to realize the things we should care about. Here they are:
1. Executes justice for the oppressed. Injustice throughout scripture is a huge issue. It is something that is not foreign in our day. Whether it’s exploitation of children, equal rights for all human beings, gender issues, or groups of people being taken advantage of, the church (both individual and corporate) must be a voice for those who have no voice.
2. Gives food to the hungry. God is a provider for those in need. Giving food to the hungry is both natural and spiritual.
3. Gives freedom to the prisoners. There are people who are bound, living within their own prison walls, and they need someone who can set them free. This is one of the purposes for the anointing of the Holy Spirit according to Isaiah 61:1 – “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To…proclaim liberty to the captives.”
4. Opens the eyes of the blind. The New Testament declares that one of the tactics of Satan is to blind the minds and eyes of people from understanding the truth. We need to be proclaimers of truth to combat the deception of the enemy.
5. Raises those who are bowed down. So many things can cause a person to be bowed down. The classic cause would be a person who is carrying the weight of the world upon their shoulders. We are told in scripture to cast our cares upon Him for He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).
6. Loves the righteous. I have been particularly drawn to scriptures pertaining to the righteous. There are numerous promises and blessings from God upon those that are righteous. God loves the righteous.
7. Watches over the strangers. Those who have no place to call “home” are being looked after by heavenly eyes.
8. Relieves the fatherless and the widows. Another word for “relieves” would be “sustains.” In other words, God will take care of the fatherless and the widows. James 1:27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”
There are so many trivial things in this world that don’t matter when stacked up against the above points. It would be worth your while to adopt one or two of these into your life’s mission. They will give you purpose, they will help others and they will please the heart of God.