“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people. Praise the Lord, all you who fear him! Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob! Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.”
Psalm 22:22-24 NLT
There are many needy people in our societies today. Not just people who need financial help or help with the basics of life such as food, clothing and a roof over their heads. There are many suffering from mental or physical ill health, needy people stuck in a merry-go-round of medical visits or imprisoned by mobility or other issues forcing upon them some degree of social isolation. Those who are deaf or suffering from something like dementia are needy people and although medical technology and modern drugs can help, the need is still there. And if we look to foreign shores, we see different needs emerge, in nations that have no resources to help their peoples, or, worse, have no intent on doing so anyway. The suffering experienced by women in some parts of the world is scandalous by Western standards. But all is not lost, because David wrote that God has not “ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy”. He went further to state that the Lord “has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help”.
Bible translations differ on the verse 24 of Psalm 22, in that some consider it a prayer from David, as being the suffering and needy one, whilst others, as the NLT records today, pluralise the extent of the “cries for help”, extending them to all people. But either way, there is a principle here that God is there for everyone, king or slave, taxpayer or not, in the societies in which we live. In Psalm 113:7-8 we read, “He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people!” So, God will be there for suffering and needy people but with one important caveat – it helps if they know Him. In Matthew 5:45b, Jesus said, “ … For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike“. And that is so true. As I have written before, it would be a bit strange to see pools of light illuminating God’s people as they walked around the world, with everyone else in total darkness. God’s common grace is there for all, regardless of their faith, status or income.
But does God turn His back on those who have rejected Him, even if they are poor and needy? Of course not. He has encouraged societies to take responsibility for the poorest amongst them, and most Western countries have some form of social security system in place. And He has also provided sufficient food for everyone on this planet, although we have the offence of some areas of the world having more than enough while others are starving. One day God will balance out the disparity between the have’s and the have-not’s, the rich and the poor. In the Kingdom of God, as before the Cross, there is no person who is any better than any other.
So, what do we pilgrims make of all of this? In Deuteronomy 15:10, we read, “Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do”. In the culture at that time there was no safety net for the suffering and needy, and it was only donations, alms, and gifts from those around them that kept many alive. In the UK today, the state has assumed responsibility for the less fortunate, and various taxes pay the bill. But we pilgrims still have an opportunity to help the suffering and needy, filling the gap that the state fails to plug. Loneliness and grief, just for starters, are two problems endemic in our society, and believers everywhere can help mitigate the effects. We volunteer in soup kitchens. We visit the elderly. We run clubs and societies. We look for ways in which we can be arms and legs for God, fulfilling His will for the suffering and the needy.
God is compassionate and kind to needy people and he expects us pilgrims to be as well. One thing we must not do is close our ears to the cries of the poor and needy. God won’t like that.
Dear God. You, who are so compassionate to the poor and needy, will one day balance the scales of justice. Please lead and guide us to help those in need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 