Reflections
sets captives free.”
Christ
Jesus carries out the promises
of the
Psalm – He sets us captives free
and
gives sight to us so we can truly see.
The
Lord raises us up when we are down.
He
sustains us -- with real
food and drink.
Who
among us is not hungry for a closer
relationship
with The Lord?
You
may ask, “When were we oppressed,
or
hungry, or in prison?” Have we not
been
under pressure from the evil one
to
commit sin? Have we not been held
captive
at one time or another by our sins?
And
do we not experience a hunger for
the
Lord and for a deeper faith?
That
same power that gives sight to the
blind
and raises up those who are bowed
down
is available to free us from whatever
imprisons
us. All it takes is to receive Him
and
open our hearts to our Savior.
The
Psalm is telling us we really need
to
humble ourselves if we want to be
raised
up with Jesus. That may be hard
to
do if it means we have to swallow our
pride and
put aside worldly concerns.
But if we truly want
to be set free from
the sins that bind us, then
we need to
repent and bow down before
the Lord,
accept our brokenness, and
seek His
healing ministry. Only then will
we begin
to have a right relationship with
the Lord.
Having
done so, we can pray this Psalm,
not
only in honor of the heavenly Father,
but
also in honor of Jesus
Christ, whom
God
exalted. We then join with the psalmist
and
sing, “The
Lord shall reign forever;
our
God, through all generations.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist assures us that the Lord gives food to the hungry. Describe how
your spiritual hunger is satisfied by the nourishment you receive from God.
2. The Psalm says that the Lord
thwarts the way of the wicked. Reflect on your
experience and give
an example of how the
Lord has overcome evil that was
a threat
to you.
We are all encouraged to put our confidence in God. We must hope in the providence of God for all we need as to this life, and in the grace of God for that which is to come.
ReplyDeleteThe God of heaven became a man that he might become our salvation. Though He died on the cross for our sins, and was laid in the grave, yet his thoughts of love toward us did not perish; He rose again to fulfill them.
When the Son of God was on earth, his miracles were examples of what He is still doing every day. He feeds with the bread of life those who hunger for salvation; and He is the constant Friend of the poor in spirit, the helpless.
Then let us sinners flee to Him, and us believers rejoice in Him. And as the Lord shall reign forever, let us stir up each other to praise his holy name.
"The Lord gives food to the hungry and sets captives free." I meditate on this verse for a while. It reminds me of God's true character. Our Lord is gracious, loving, compassionate, and patient. The Lord is righteous in all his ways. He cares for all He has made.
ReplyDeleteThe Lord is the source of all our daily needs in life. Physically He provides for me and He sustains me. Spiritually He feeds me with his words for my nourishment. His words are spiritual food and his Holy Communion nourishes my soul in the form of his body and blood.
The Lord's spirit is within me and sets me free from whatever imprisons me. And He gives me sight so that I can truly see, if I seek the Lord's forgiveness whenever I sin. Thanks be to God He hears my cry and sets me free when evil threatens me. I am satisfied because He is faithful to his promise. I am able to have a better relationship with Him after my confession of my sins. I praise Him. I praise his holy name. I praise Him as my Savior.
The Psalm's focus on the Lord's provision for our needs is at once comforting and beautiful, especially when I identify with the hungry, the prisoners, the blind, the bowed down, the alien, etc. However, what am I to do when I identify more closely with the rich of the world?
ReplyDeleteI know that I am blessed beyond measure in many ways, perhaps like the rich man with the beggar Lazarus at his feet. Therefore, the readings of the week, (1st, 2nd, Gospel AND Psalm) take on a different tone for me. I am unsettled. I am warned. I am frightened by the thought that I am complacent in my comfort and am not doing enough for those who are physically and spiritually hungry in my life.
The Psalm for me is a call to action -- to willingly be a bigger part of the Lord's plan to "feed the hungry."