But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,whose hope is in the LORD their God.He made heaven and earth,the sea, and everything in them.He keeps every promise forever.He gives justice to the oppressedand food to the hungry.The LORD frees the prisoners.The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down.The LORD loves the godly.The LORD protects the foreigners among us.He cares for the orphans and widows,but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.The LORD will reign forever.He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations.Praise the LORD! (Psalm 146:5–10 NLT)
It seems to be a stage of life every child goes through without fail: soon after they learn to walk, they find mom or dad’s shoes and slip their tiny feet into them. Soon, they are tripping themselves up on the overly large shoes as they wander around the house, but mom and dad don’t mind the thievery; to them, this is yet another cute act cementing their child as the most darling kid to have ever existed, at least in that moment.
Despite most parents focusing so much on teaching through instruction, children learn most through copying the actions of their parents.
When it comes to our Heavenly Father, we will never fail to have his words spoken over our lives, through the Bible and through the ongoing instruction of the Holy Spirit. But we also learn by watching how God acts, and so often when he acts it is as a guardian, or protector.
To be a guardian is to protect others from danger. Much of this is proactive work. As a parent, this means caring for the needs of their child, such as providing food, shelter, and clothing. But there are also times when a guardian must be reactive, responding to the unexpected dangers or injustices that arise.
Likewise, our Father in heaven gave us life and provides all we need to make our way in the world, but he is not a deadbeat dad who sets us loose with little or no oversight. He is actively rooting for us and caring for us, looking over our lives to ensure we have what we need to flourish in his Kingdom and are protected from harm.
Today’s reading shows us both sides of this guardian role in God’s protection of his children. In verse 6, the psalmist points out that everything we need for this life was made by God: “He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.” The psalm quickly transitions to a handful of ways God is reactive, caring for our needs as they arise: He provides justice for the oppressed, food to the hungry, freedom for prisoners, sight to the blind, and relief for the overburdened. He even “protects the foreigners among us,” “cares for the widows and orphans,” and “frustrates the plans of the wicked.”
God is a good Father who cares for his children and protects them – protects us. And as his children, it is on us to follow in his example. Are we actively paying attention to what our Father does and attempting to copy him? Do we emulate his acts to the best of our ability?
To be a Christian is to be a “little Christ.” The name we have taken for ourselves is evidence that we are seeking to be little emulators, following in the footsteps of our Savior. We may only be as toddlers stumbling along as we attempt to wear our Father’s shoes, but it is still so very important we attempt to emulate him in our everyday lives.
How are you emulating God today? How are you serving as a guardian for the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoners, the blind, the overburdened, the foreigners, and the widows and orphans?