Sometimes we don’t feel blessed. We could be sick, going through a hardship, having financial difficulties, or just feeling lost and lonely. King David wrote this psalm when he was ill and weakened. A rebellion brewed and he was on the brink of losing his kingdom. In addition, his, son Absalom was plotting to seize David’s throne. Yet, he knew he could turn to God. So can you! Let’s dig in…
Psalm 41
1 Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.
2 The Lord protects and preserves them—
they are counted among the blessed in the land—
he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.
3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed
and restores them from their bed of illness.4 I said, “Have mercy on me, Lord;
heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die and his name perish?”
6 When one of them comes to see me,
he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;
then he goes out and spreads it around.7 All my enemies whisper together against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
8 “A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up from the place where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend,
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned against me.10 But may you have mercy on me, Lord;
raise me up, that I may repay them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does not triumph over me.
12 Because of my integrity you uphold me
and set me in your presence forever.13 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
Psalm 41 NIV
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.
Starting Off Blessed
- This psalm starts of with the same word as Psalm 1: Blessed!
- The book of Psalms is divided into five smaller books, and this psalm is the last one in the first of the books.
- Interestingly enough, Jesus, starts off His Sermon on the Mount with the same word…
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:3-12 NIV
Jesus was betrayed like David was…
David’s own son, betrayed him as did other close associates. Centuries later, Jesus was betrayed by Judas, fulfilling verse 9. Moreover, Jesus quoted it…
18 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.'”
John 13:18 NIV
Similarly, Jesus suffers because of sin, just like David did — although, not His own sin. I turn to the folks at Spoken Gospel for insight…
The prophet Isaiah says that Jesus’ suffering was for our sin and his stripes were for our sicknesses (Isaiah 53:5). Only when Jesus died under the weight of our sin and sickness did he rise from the dead. Like David hoped, Jesus’ integrity means he now lives in God’s presence forever (Psalm 41:12). Jesus’ death and resurrection prove the point of his Sermon on the Mount: victory belongs to the weak who trust in God.
And the same is true for us. If we are betrayed, weak, sick, or sinful, we are precisely the type of people God delights to save. When we trust God and his words, our withering stops. Jesus plants us in his presence the way a good gardener plants a tree by rivers of water (Psalm 1:3).
Everyone who loves Jesus and does what he commands will thrive. Wholeness, peace, and stability are offered to anyone who loves Jesus and follows his commands (Psalm 1:1-2). Just like Jesus promises his disciples, his presence be with us always, even until the end (Matthew 28:20).
Spoken Gospel
From Everlasting to Everlasting
Eternity. Blessed with eternal life. Our God exists from eternity past to eternity future. Jesus tells us this in the last book of the Bible.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 1:8
What do we do when we feel weak, beaten down by the trials of life?
We look up.
Paul wrote…
…in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 NIV
World Watch – Increased Christian Persecution
Every Saturday, I do a weekly wrap-up of current news items that match Jesus’ predictions in His Olivet Discourse. You can find the link to latest one in the sidebar. Consequently, Jesus warned us that in the last days we, His followers, would be persecuted, imprisoned, beaten, even killed. Each week, I write about Christians persecuted all over the world — including the U.S. and Canada! The stories are amazing. Nevertheless, no matter what we believers go through, we must stand firm in our faith, stand firm on the Word of God, and, most importantly, stand firm on the TRUTH.
Praying Psalm 41
Simply, put it in your own words…
Have mercy on me, Lord; heal me, for I have sinned against you. I am blessed because You protect and preserve my life and I am counted among the blessed of the land. Thank You for sustaining me when I was sick and restoring me to good health.
Because of my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever. Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.
Paraphrase on Psalm 41 by Giselle Aguiar
When Jesus died on the cross He took away ALL our sins FOREVER. Ultimately, that means your past sins are erased, and even your future sins are forgiven. Therefore, if you truly believe this and TRUST Jesus completely, then all you need to do is what Peter told us to do…
“Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 2:38 NLT
If you’re not sure if you’re saved or not, if you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, feel His Shalom — a peace that surpasses all understanding, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven after you die, or that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, which can happen at any moment, this is what you have to do…