Psalm 41
Just past our church building the South Umpqua River separates Winston from the unincorporated town of Dillard. The bridge connecting the two communities is the site of a third community. A homeless camp has been established under the bridge and in the trees and underbrush on the riverbank. Regularly the people living in that third community walk our streets on their way to receive medical care and to purchase minutes for their cell phones. Many of them also seek to earn a few dollars by holding signs asking for money.
As God was forming His people into a nation in the wilderness He instructed them to take care of the poor in their midst. The reasons for poverty are legion. The assignment to care for them is clear.
The Psalmist asserts, “Happy is one who cares for the poor; the Lord will save him in a day of adversity.” (Psalm 41:1, HCSB) The rest of this psalm is a prayer for deliverance for the one who seeks to care for the poor. The Psalmist recognizes that his condition (illness, or other tragedy) may be the result of sin (vs 4). The issue isn’t simply caring for the poor. Rather, the way one relates to the poor reveals the condition of the soul. Sin unconfessed has a way of staining our soul.
I primarily ignore the third community. I’m not so much afraid of physical harm as it is the fear of getting in over my head. In my limited experience with homeless, I quickly discover just how much I don’t know and how limited my resources are.
I am as quick as David to seeks deliverance from those who speak evil when I am suffering. If you could look into my soul I would want you to find compassion for the poor, concern for their plight, and care that extends to action on their behalf.
WINSTON COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH 