SEPTEMBER 6, 2022
Psalm 68:6
6 God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
Deuteronomy 14:27-29
27 And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.
28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
Deuteronomy 24:18-22
18 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this.
19 When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. 21 When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. 22 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.
“God sets the lonely in families . . . “(Psalm 68:6)
Isn’t that a beautiful promise?
To the one today who is lonely or who feels abandoned and neglected, to the one who is widowed or feels isolated and overlooked, God has not forgotten you. The Bible tells us that God sees you, God loves you, God hears you and God has already made provision for your care. How? Through His people. Throughout the Scripture story, a recurring command is to care for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. As we read in Deuteronomy above, God was very clear about how to care for these and that doing so would result in great blessing. On the flip side, to not care for these would be a transgression.
It is to be noted that the culture of the Bible was a “we” culture, they were communal and valued hospitality. Admittedly, this is not necessarily what we see reflected in our own culture. We are an “I” culture; we prize independence and personal freedoms. Quite often our families are separated by geography, and we as we have said many times over the last little while, we can easily live in neighborhoods and never know our neighbors, or perhaps even see them!
Our readings today raise the question, how can we live out the command to care for “the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow,” etc. ? I suggest with intention and invitation. For example, Is there someone you know who could use an invitation to your table? Our Table? Who do you know today that needs to be “included” or cared for? However, you answer these questions, it will require intentionality on your part to move toward them.
Today I invite you to remember that God sets the lonely in families and He wants to use us to be that family.
PRAYER
Father, enlarge my heart’s capacity to love others. Help me today to see who needs Your care through me. Help me to be a family to . . . (who did you think about above?)
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