Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Psalms 102:16-22 -- On Lost Sheep

"When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.
He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.
For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth;
To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;
To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord."
Psalms 102:16-22


I like the mention of the destitute, prisoners, and people that are going to die here. In other scriptures the Lord mentions widows, orphans/fatherless, and the oppressed. ... I believe the overall message is that God values everyone, even the people that society often ignores or fails, and that he specifically wants to help those people that feel bereft, abandoned, and helpless.  Since I've felt that way before, as perhaps we all have at times, I really appreciate that focus, and know how important it is that the Lord is concerned about the lost sheep.

Today, I was thinking that we could help God in his efforts in a couple of ways.  One, by expanding our comfort zones and reaching out to people who are struggling or who feel alone, without judging, but just sincerely trying to lift and support.

The other way we can help is by standing firm and going forward and doing what we can to keep ourselves and others from becoming lost in the first place.  Let's help our neighbors before they become destitute, and our friends before they wind up prisoners.  Let's study and learn and get to know God rather than becoming (spiritually) lost ourselves.

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