March 27, 2023

Psalm 146: 7-9 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. (NIV)

True commitment to God does not result in legalism, but love; not harm, but help; not pride, but humility; not judgment, but mercy; not isolation, but infiltration; not rules over people, but relationships with people.*

In case you don’t know the Lord, the psalmist invites you to make his acquaintance by sharing this list of God’s activities. Knowing what God does enhances our knowledge of who he is. To further our understanding of his character, let’s flip the psalmist’s list for a look at behavior that is opposite of God’s: 

• Oppresses those over whom he has power. 
• Has no concern for the less fortunate – the hungry, those in prison, the blind, those who are bowed with care. 
• Has no love for the righteous. 
• Does not care about foreigners, orphans, or widows. 
• Facilitates the ways of the wicked. 

So where do you fall in these two lists? Which one best describes you? Are you more like God or are you more like his opposite? What can you do to increase your godliness? Are you – at this moment – composing a mental list of steps to help get you on the good list? Stop right there. Doing the right things will never make you more like God until your heart is his. 

Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to love God with all our heart, and that the second greatest was that we should love others as much as we love ourselves. If you have those priorities in order, you will never have to worry that your actions have placed you on the wrong list. Love God; love others; achieve godliness.

If you maintain these two top priorities – love God and love others – they will guide you in setting all the other priorities in your life.*