Psalm of the Week - Psalm 41:1-3 - Week of 7 July, 2014

1 Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.

2 The Lord protects and preserves them—they are counted among the blessed in the land—he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.

3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.

4 I said, “Have mercy on me, Lord; heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

Four Points to Consider

• The people of God are not free from poverty, sickness, or outward affliction, but the Lord will consider their case, and send due supplies. 
• From his Lord's example the believer learns to consider his poor and afflicted brethren. This branch of godliness is usually recompensed with temporal blessings. 
• Nothing is so distressing to the contrite (repentant, sorry) believer, as a fear or sense of the Divine displeasure, or of sin in his heart.
• Sin is the sickness of the soul; pardoning mercy heals it, renewing grace heals it, and for this spiritual healing we should be more earnest than for bodily health.      Matthew Henry's Commentary

Personal Application

Father God, thank you for blessing me and delivering me from times of trouble while I help others. Thank-you for protecting and preserving me as I walk through life trying to help others. Thank-you for sustaining me and restoring me when I have been ill, physically and spiritually. Amen.