Consider the.....

   Sometimes a verse just reaches out and grabs my attention, and, no matter how much I read, my thoughts come back to it. Here is the verse from this morning, in Psalm 41:

   " Blessed is the one who considers the poor!"

   What does it mean "to consider"?

   One dictionary defines it this way: "To think about and be drawn toward a course of action"

   So I considered the poor as I took a quick morning walk in the semi-darkness. I thought about people who had little and who needed even the basic necessities of food, housing and work. I thought about how much I had in comparison.

   Then, as I walked back toward the house, I glanced up and saw a doe and one of her young, standing on a green about 100 yards away. As I stopped to watch and see what she would do, and as she did the same to me, I thought, "I consider this animal and don't even want to move so as not to spook her, but do I act toward her with more consideration than I do a human being in trouble?"

   One translation of the verse above uses the word "helpless" in place of the word "poor". Perhaps this is better, because I realize that those that are truly helpless deserve this consideration much more than those who are just too lazy to try.

   But, regardless of the word that I choose, the main thought is my own actions toward this need.

   I am convicted, and especially as I notice a verse near the end of the reading, in Psalm 52:

    “See the man who would not make
     God his refuge,
     but trusted in the abundance of his riches"

  How long do I treat, as more important, the possibility that I will not have enough money to live out my life in style and neglect those that need help right now, today.

   Is there an action that I can take today, that would help me move forward on the path toward "Blessedness"?

   Open my eyes, Oh, God, and help me to see.