Tuesday - Advent 3 - happy are those who....

Prayer:  Come Lord Jesus,  You are our rock and our strength.  In all things  we turn to You and lean on Your understanding.  Lord God Almighty,  save those who are oppressed and afflicted.  Bless us yet again this day that we may serve You with love and delight.  Come Lord Jesus Come into our hearts and minds now and forever more.  Amen.

 

Read  Psalm 146: 1- 10

This Psalmist wrote this Psalm after realizing something amazing --that there is no other source of strength except the LORD God Almighty.    While  princes and mortal men can do a lot for others,  it is only God that can save people.   It is only God that can truly help the oppressed and the afflicted.  

 

Verse 5 begins  “happy are those who help is in the God of Jacob.”    The word “happy” does not mean the emotion of happy like getting a free birthday cake makes one happy  but  blessed and knowing that one is following the right path to God.     Help here is more than just someone asking another person for directions and then receiving the correct directions.  This “help” is  the kind of help where we know that without God we would be nothing…. we would be terribly lost.  Our help is in  God. 

 

Our hope remains and abides with God.    And God remains faithful to His people forever. 

The Psalmist then gives examples of what God can do:

1.  upholds the cause of the oppressed

2.  gives food to the hungry

3.  sets prisoners free

4.  gives sight to the blind

5.  lifts up those who are bowed down

6.  watches over those who are foreigners

7.  sustains the fatherless and the widow

8.  frustrates the way of the wicked.

 

In preparing our hearts for the coming of the Christ Child,  we become  the hands and feet of God.  Go over the list of eight things that the Psalmist says God can do and write down which of these listed things your Church is currently providing aid and support.

 

Are there any items from this list that your Church is not providing aid and support?  If not,  why not?      

 

Prayer:  Emmanuel – God with us,  You walk beside us each and every day.  We lean on Your love and Your support.   Lord Jesus Christ, You uphold the cause of the oppressed.  May we be Your voice.   Lord Jesus Christ,  You give food to the hungry.  May we be Your hands.   Lord Jesus Christ,  You set the prisoners free.  May we be Your path to righteousness.  Lord Jesus Christ,  You give sight to the blind.  May we bring Your healing touch.   Lord Jesus Christ,  You lift up those who are bowed down.  May we bring Your love.  Lord Jesus Christ,  You watch over those everyone.  May we be Your eyes and see those who are in need.   Lord Jesus Christ,  You sustain the fatherless and the widow.  May we bring Your sustaining love to the fatherless and the widow.   Lord Jesus Christ,  You frustrate the way of the wicked.  May we be Your hands for justice and charity.   Amen.