Day 317: Victors

Galatians 4:21-31; Lamentations 3-4; Psalm 146

In chapter 3 of Lamentations, the prophet feels completely beaten down. He feels no grace or mercy from God, until he remembers something that gives him hope: God's love and kindness never fail. He says that we can learn from insults and hard times, we can learn from the punishment of our sins, knowing that God is dependable to give mercy when we obey. "The Lord doesn't enjoy sending grief or pain," but he wants faithfulness from his people. Something that I keep finding in scriptures is this idea that followers of The Lord should not be wimpy, weak, or act like victims. In this chapter, he points to the same idea: "We shouldn't complain (as if we are victims) when we are being punished for our sins. Instead, we should think about the way we are living and turn back to The Lord." So it's not about being a martyr of our circumstances or struggles, but being a victor over our sins.

This psalm points out who God cares about in particular: "He gives justice to the poor and food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free and heals blind eyes. He gives a helping hand to everyone who falls. The Lord loves good people and looks after strangers. He defends the rights of orphans and widows, but destroys the wicked." The poor, hungry, prinsoners, blind, fallen, good people, strangers, orphans, and widows. God watches out for these people. Why? Because often, no one else is, and these people truly feel dependant on him. Those of us in prosperity tend to forget how much we need God; these people recognize their need for a Savior.