Lowly but Loved by God

Though the Lord is great, He cares for the humble, but He keeps His distance from the proud. Psalm 138, verse 6.

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Lowly But Loved by God was written in red by Sochil Dixon. Psalm 138 reads, May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord, when they hear what you have decreed. May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great. Though the Lord is exalted, He looks kindly on the lowly.

Though lofty, He sees them from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes. With your right hand, you save me. The Lord will vindicate me. Your love, Lord, endures forever.

Do not abandon the works of your hands. Lowly But Loved by God One day at church, I greeted a visiting family. I knelt next to their little girl's wheelchair, introduced her to my service dog, Callie, and complimented her pretty pink glasses and boots. Though she was nonverbal, her smile told me she enjoyed our conversation. Another little girl approached, avoiding eye contact with my new friend. She whispered, Tell her I like her dress. I said, You tell her she's kind, just like you.

I explained how easy it was to speak with our new friend, even though she communicated differently, and how looking at her and smiling would help her feel accepted and loved. In scripture and in this world, people are often excluded because they're perceived as different. However, our great God celebrates our differences and invites us into relationship with him and his family. In Psalm 138, David says, I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart. Before the gods, I will sing your praise. He says, The Lord is exalted, and yet he looks kindly on the lowly. God, exalted and holy, looks kindly on us, his created ones, especially when we humble ourselves. As we ask him to help us look kindly on and behave kindly toward others, we can thank him for affirming that we're lowly and loved. Let's pray. Dear God, please help us greet all people with the same abundant kindness and unconditional love that you show each of us each day. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. As you go about your day, reflect on these questions. How does remembering you are lowly in comparison to God change the way you see others? How can you show love to those in your community with disabilities?