A Good Epitaph

   Today, my reading in Psalms 72 is a psalm of David, interceding for his son Solomon, who will be the next king of Israel. In his prayer for his son, he asks God:

   "May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!"
   Then a little later he writes:

   "For he delivers the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.

He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy."
   Then he concludes by asking:

   "May people be blessed in him"

   It would seem that the focus of the prayer and David's expectations of God's blessings on Solomon have to do with his acknowledgment of the presence of the poor in the land, and the needs of those that have no power of their own.

   Is God concerned about those who are poor, and those who are powerless in the land of Israel? Is He still concerned about those same people in our society, those who are designated as the underclass?

   If He is concerned, His people should be also. Really concerned, not just to throw a dollar out to them sometimes or give money to organizations that help in this area, or do none of the above, but trust in the government to take care of all that.

   I should certainly do those acts of kindness and concern in situations that He brings to my attention, but what else? What can one man do? What does God expect?

   The least I can do is to ask God to open my eyes to see those that are in need, and not be so caught up in my own stuff that they are just scenery on my road. Uncaring and selfishness too often dominate my living. God help me to truly see.

   What better epitaph could be written of a man than:

   "People were blessed when he passed this way"