Do not Forget the Oppressed

Acts of Worship
Stewardship for Life

Serving the Least

Psalm 10:12-18  The Message

^12-13 Time to get up, God—get moving.
    The luckless think they’re Godforsaken.
They wonder why the wicked scorn God
    and get away with it,
Why the wicked are so cocksure
    they’ll never come up for audit.

¹⁴ But you know all about it—
    the contempt, the abuse.
I dare to believe that the luckless
    will get lucky someday in you.
You won’t let them down:
    orphans won’t be orphans forever.

^15-16 Break the wicked right arms,
    break all the evil left arms.
Search and destroy
    every sign of crime.
God’s grace and order wins;
    godlessness loses.

^17-18 The victim’s faint pulse picks up;
    the hearts of the hopeless pump red blood
    as you put your ear to their lips.
Orphans get parents,
    the homeless get homes.
The reign of terror is over,
    the rule of the gang lords is ended.

For Reflection 

"The luckless think they are God-forsaken."  Hopelessness and despair in impoverishment should be cause enough for service to the poor.  But, perhaps the most compelling Christian reason for such service is that the "luckless" will come to know the strength to fight hopelessness that comes from a loving, forgiving compassionate God who works through righteous people of good will.  Working to resolve issues of poverty will break the wicked arms of evil and the terror a life of impoverishment produces.

Pray

for those who fight for the impoverished.  Pray for those whose call to work to help impoverished communities is often unrewarding and under valued.  Pray for God to open opportunities for you to join God's Angle Army in the defeat of hopelessness and despair.