The Powerful and the Weak

Thank you for joining us for today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

I'm Wynn Collier and I wrote today's piece, The Powerful and the Weak. Perhaps the most heartwarming tradition in college football happens at the University of Iowa. The Stead Family Children's Hospital sits next to Iowa's Kinnick Stadium, and the hospital's top floor has floor-to-ceiling windows offering a great view of the field. On game days, sick children and their families fill the floor to watch the action below, and at the end of the first quarter, coaches, athletes, and thousands of fans turn to the hospital and wave.

For those few moments, the children's eyes light up. It's powerful to see the athletes with a packed stadium and thousands more watching on TV pause and show they care. The Scriptures instruct those who have power, and all of us have some kind of power, to care for those who are weak, watch over those who are struggling, and tend to those whose bodies are broken. Too often, though, we ignore those in need of attention. The prophet Ezekiel rebuked Israel's leaders for their selfishness, for disregarding those who most needed help. "'Woe to you,' God said through Ezekiel, you have not strengthened the weak, or healed the sick, or bound up the injured."

How often do our personal priorities, leadership philosophies, or economic policies demonstrate little regard for those in distress? God shows us a different way, where those with power watch out for those who are weak. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Ezekiel chapter 34, verses 1-2 and 7-12. The word of the Lord came to me, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. I say unto them, This is what the sovereign Lord says, Woe to you shepherds of Israel, who only take care of yourselves. Should not shepherds take care of the flock? Now picking up at verse 7, Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd, and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the sovereign Lord says, I am against the shepherds, and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock, so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them. For this is what the sovereign Lord says, I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep.

I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, teach us to love as you love. Help us to see and come alongside those who are weak and broken. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.