Psalm 145:14-17

The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.”

You know those people who are just super nice? You aren’t sure how they do it, they just seem to have an extra measure of kindness to those around them. You might find them helping an old lady carry her groceries across the street or rescuing a kitten from a burning building. God’s like that. He helps us with our heavy loads. When we fall down, he picks us up. He gives us food and satisfies our spiritual hunger too.

If God is so filled with kindness, why is there suffering in the world? I see plenty of people crushed under the weight of heavy emotional burdens. Where is God then? These are questions many people ask, and they are fair questions we should ask. These verses contain some pretty bold claims about God. There are no easy answers, but I think we need to understand the big picture of both the Bible and the global reality. The Bible describes a pretty significant spiritual war raging, and we are caught in the middle of it. God is on the rescuing side. Every time. And he’s in the process of winning the war.

Here’s your freedom for today: God wants to help you. What’s on your mind today? What is troubling your heart? What are your burdens that are weighing you down for yet another 24 hour period? Sadness, grief, loss, pain, anxiety, trauma… these are just some of the reasons we can either turn away from God or turn to him. If we blame him, we do not understand who he is or what he is doing. If we run to him, we will find the claims of Scripture to be true beyond our comprehension. God wants to help you. But you have to let him take it in order to experience that freedom he offers. Imagine you are carrying a heavy suitcase and someone comes along and rips it out of your hands in order to get it across the street for you. You probably would not like that. If someone offers to help and you say, “No, I’m all set” then again, you will not be helped. Maybe let God help today, and see what happens. He won’t force his way in and he won’t steal your suitcase. He’s just ready to be kind to you.

Psalm 145:18-21

The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked. I will praise the Lordand may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.”

As we have explored this Psalm, I have been so struck by the overwhelming goodness of God as we have explored these ancient songs together. Remember, if we believe the Bible’s claims about itself (including the way Jesus interacted with the Old Testament scriptures such as the book of Psalms), we acknowledge that this is no ordinary song book. God breathed his very self into these words in order to reveal his innermost nature to us.

What do we know about God from today’s passage? We know he wants you to know him. He hears you. He wants to rescue you. He protects you and destroys the evil around you. Yeah, I think he deserves a whole lot of praise for that. We owe him everything. And we can never repay it.

Here’s your freedom for today: God is closer than you can imagine. He exudes love for you. He is pouring his Spirit into you. When you honestly seek him, you will find him. He makes himself known so that you do not have to jump through a whole bunch of hoops to get to him. Jesus embodied the full nature of God, so if you like him then you like God. He’s not just next to you, holding your hand today. No, he’s woven himself into the very fabric of your being. Live as one with God today and let his protection and care fill you to a place of freedom.