Advent 3:4. 18 December 2013

image by albert pujol

by Kaysi Hastings

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

Psalm 146:5-10

Recently my parents and I watched the 23rd season finale of The Amazing Race. The few reality shows I follow, I watch with a sense of intrigue and fascination with the endlessly varied ways humans choose to interact with one another in a competitive setting. More often than not a "survival of the fittest"-type mindset seems to guide people in their decisions, but occasionally we see people defy the logic of self-preservation and take risks on behalf of others even in the midst of the competition. Amy, one half of the couple who just won The Amazing Race, risked potential elimination multiple times as she delayed her own progress to help the wife of another couple in various challenges. Sometimes people who take such risks pay the price, but once in a while (as in this case) their selfless efforts still end with a victory, and my heart smiles at the glimpse of things working out the way I intuitively believe they ought to.

Because we live in a fiercely independent world, we probably operate on the principle of the survival of the fittest in more ways than we are even aware of, yet most of us are still drawn to stories of self-sacrifice, stories in which someone who has nothing to gain acts on behalf of someone who has nothing to offer. The story of our God is such a story. Throughout history He has acted on behalf of those who have nothing to offer Him in return (which is to say, all of us).

The psalmist lists many examples of this in the second half of Psalm 146. God loves to help the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoners, the blind, the humble, the righteous, the sojourners, the widow, and the fatherless. Just as I rejoiced that someone who selflessly helped another won this past season of The Amazing Race, I also rejoice that the God who mercifully lifts up people in need is the rightful King of the entire universe and will one day reign over all once again. A King who cares for those who have nothing to offer Him is one Who can be trusted in all circumstances. This is the King we serve.

Take some time to consider the following. Perhaps it would be helpful to record your responses in a journal.

Who do you most relate to in today's text: the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoner, the blind, the humble, the righteous, the sojourner, the widow, or the fatherless? Why? How has God provided for you in this area? How can you reflect the kindness of our King by helping someone in your life who has nothing to offer you?

Here is a prayer in response to today's text. You can pray this as your own or use it as a prompt for a spontaneous prayer.

Father, thank You for the many ways You have provided for me when I had nothing to give You in return. I pray for the duration of my life on earth I might represent Your Kingdom by freely helping the people You place in my life even when I gain nothing in return. May I find joy in giving freely as You have given to me.