Summer ought to be a season when we’re able to rest well—a time we can spend with the Lord and His goodness. But, oftentimes, we actually fall out of healthy spiritual habits and end up trying to rest from the Lord instead of resting in Him.
That’s why we’ve created the Summer Selah Series. Over 40 days, we’ll be sharing daily devotions during a season where you may not feel very devoted.
Based on excerpts from his book Selah: Devotions From The Psalms For Those Who Struggle With Devotion, Ross Lester, our Pastor of Preaching and West Congregation Pastor, will provide readings from select Psalms, a brief devotional reflection, and some prayer points for each of the 40 days.
Take some time to read Psalm 113. Then, come back and read the following verses again.
“He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.” (Psalm 113:7-8 ESV)
Psalm 113 is a Psalm of praise. It speaks of God being higher than the heavens, seated on a throne, far beyond the reach of those on earth. This is how we imagine those with great power. Lifted up, out of reach, up above.
But the Psalm also tells the beautiful tale of the love of the God of the Bible. We have no way at all to reach up to Him, but He stoops down to the lowly. He gets in and amongst the poor and the unlovely and He lifts them up to be with Him.
Two things come to my mind with this reminder. Firstly, I am so grateful that God stooped low in the form of His Son to come and get a poor soul like me. I mustn’t give in to the thinking that I ascended up to God even for a moment. Secondly, if this is the impulse of God, then I am called, as His follower, to do what I can to lift up the lowly and bring out the poor from the dust.
When was the last time you contemplated God’s mercy towards you and believed that you can’t reach up to Him but that He reached down to you? When was the last time that you celebrated God’s mercy towards you by extending mercy towards another?
Father God, thank You that stooped low to get me. Give me eyes to see and hands to help those who need lifting up. Send me as an agent of Your mercy towards those who need mercy.
Ross Lester, Selah: Devotions From The Psalms For Those Who Struggle With Devotion (Magnolia, Texas: Lucid Books, 2017)
