14 The Lord sustains all who fall
And raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all [g]look to You,
And You give them their food in due time.
16 You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds.
18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He will also hear their cry and will save them.
20 The Lord keeps all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.
Throughout the second half of this psalm, two things are repeated. One is the state of those who God helps. Some fall, or are bowed down. Some are righteous and call upon His name, they fear and love God. Some are affected by outside forces, and yet they still have a choice, to call upon Him or to go their own way (and v. 20 states their doom).
The other thing that is evident is the immutability of God’s nature. He is consistently righteous, kind, and takes care of every living thing. Not just some of them, but all of them. “All” is repeatedly used, and rightly so. God does not change with the wind or with the seasons, but He is always good, and always seeking our good. His will is to save us, not to destroy us.
Though animals may be excused “barbaric” actions because they are only following their instincts, we are given a choice–one that only we can make, no one else makes it for us. Throughout our lives, we cannot abdicate responsibility for our actions. We cannot change who God is, or the plans He has for us. Yet it is up to us to choose those plans, or go our own way.
It seems so simple, but it isn’t an easy thing. Even this morning, as I was writing this, other things were distracting and tempting me away. I had to shut off those distractions and focus on Him, and it is always worth it.
When we align our hearts with His, the only One who is always good and righteous, we will have our heart’s true desire(s). Focus on yourself and it will all be hollow and fleeting. Or focus on God’s way, pursue His will, and you’ll find what your soul truly craves in Him. Choose life, a full life, everlasting life even, by once more setting your course by God’s compass today.