Known By His Justice

Psalm 9 says . . .

The Lord is known by his justice....
The needy will not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. (v. 16, 18)

Here it is again. God's love shows itself in his concern for justice in the world. And there's something new added: that God is known by his justice. Not known for his justice; known by his justice. I think what that means is that I don't really know God adequately until caring for the needy, the forgotten, and the afflicted becomes one of my own core values. This is such a big part of the heart of God that my own heart is connected with his through my sharing his compulsion to work for justness in the world.

Am I forgetting the needy in the world? in my own community? What am I personally doing to address their needs? I feel that I have been somewhat indifferent to such things. Or maybe I've thought they were worthy causes, but they were for somebody else to deal with. Not that I haven't done some. But I feel like I need to do more. A few contributions here and there just isn't enough, given the size of the need.

O Father, show me how to approach this so that what I do makes a real difference. What can I give in addition to money? in addition to my unskilled labor? How can I use my influence and my best skills and gifts to address the huge needs of people? Show me, please. Amen.