March 15, 2016
Looking Up
The
Lord lifts up those who are bowed down. - Psalm 146:8
Read:
Psalm
146:1-10
An article in the
Surgical Technology International
journal says that looking down at a smart
phone
with your head bent forward is the equivalent of
having a 60-pound weight
on your neck. When we
consider that millions of people around the world
spend
an average of 2-4 hours daily reading and
texting, the resulting damage to neck
and spine
becomes a growing health concern.
It is also easy to become spiritually bowed
down by the
burdens of life. How often we find ourselves discouraged by
the
problems we face and the needs of those we love. The
psalmist understood this
weight of concern yet saw hope as
he wrote about “the Maker of heaven and
earth, the sea, and
everything in them—[who] remains faithful forever. He
upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the
hungry. The Lord sets
prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to
the blind, the Lord lifts up those who
are bowed down, the
Lord loves the righteous” (Ps. 146:6-8).
When we consider God’s care, His great power,
and His
loving heart, we can begin to look up and praise Him. We
can walk
through each day knowing that “the Lord reigns
forever . . . for all
generations” (v. 10).
He lifts us up when we are bowed down. Praise
the Lord!
O Lord, lift our eyes to see Your power and love today so
we
can raise our heads and our hearts in grateful praise to
You.
Faith in God’s goodness puts a song in your heart.
INSIGHT:
In today’s psalm, the psalmist responds in
grateful worship as
he reflects on the greatness and grace of God. He invites
us to
trust the Lord, to look to Him for help, and to place our hope in Him. He
is the omnipotent, eternal God, the Creator who is
forever faithful (vv. 5–6),
just, benevolent, gracious,
compassionate, and loving (vv. 7–9). The psalmist’s
message is
a simple one: Trust in God, not in man, for only those who
trust God
can be truly blessed.
Source: Our Daily Bread 2016
