Help for the Helpless

A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.  (Psalm 68:5, NKJV)

What a powerful image of our God is this verse. Who is this One, willing to take up the cause of the fatherless and widows?

This Psalm of David begins with,

“Let God arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.” (Psalm 68:1, NKJV)

Using powerful imagery throughout Psalm 68 to describe the might and majesty of God Almighty, David in the midst of it all proclaims that He is the defender of the defenseless. In ancient societies, kings would often use edicts of this sort to proclaim their intention to help the people, whether or not that was their actual intention. This would help garner the loyalty of their citizenry; as long as they and their vassals actually acted in a manner consistent to those claims, any others who tried to usurp them faced a daunting group of defenders – all the people.

David did not find such proclamations necessary. His upbringing was anything but royal. He was the youngest of eight boys, regarded in such lowly manner that his father, Jesse, did not even present him before Samuel when the prophet invited him and his sons to come sacrifice with him. (I Samuel 16:5). Despite this, God elevated David and Samuel anointed him to become the next King of Israel. His actual attainment of the post was delayed for several years by Saul’s grasping refusal to relent to God’s will. Over those next years, David was alternately elevated and abased, eventually hounded nearly to the death by Saul, so David had a affinity for the common man and those hard-pressed.

Samuel had referred to David prophetically before even meeting him by saying, “The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, . . ..” This intimacy with the thinking of the Almighty is displayed throughout the Psalms. David felt free to complain to God but would then answer his own complaints with clear assurance of God’s mercy and grace.

So child of God, if you feel deserted, if you feel no one is looking out for you, trust in the Lord. Commit your cause to Him. He is your Rock, your Shelter in times of trouble. He will neither leave you nor forsake you. Cry out in your distress, then in the end take courage and trust in Him. He is your divine Resource, the Comforter, your divine Advocate, His Holy Spirit, will be your supply and your succor in time of need.