By Mallory Mattingly
Atlanta Falcons rookie running back Nathan Carter shared his takeaways from studying Psalm 72.
“I was struck by verses 12–14. These verses speak of a coming eternal King who would rescue the poor, save the helpless, and redeem the oppressed,” Carter wrote in a post on Instagram. “Scripture tells us that this King will be greater than any earthly ruler. This prophecy, like many others, is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter from Galilee, who is also the Savior of the world—God Himself.
“Wherever Jesus went, we see the message of Psalm 72 come to life. He sought out the lost, the broken, and the forgotten,” he continued. “He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and made the lame walk. He cared for those whom others ignored or devalued. The end of verse 14 explains His motivation: ‘…for their lives are precious in His sight.'”
“If we believe that every person is created in the image of God and that their lives are precious to Him, then how much more should we seek out and care for the lost, the broken, and the forgotten?” Carter added. “These individuals are all around us: at work, in restaurants, in stores, in our neighborhoods, and even in our churches. As followers of Christ, we are called to actively love, care for, and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with them.”
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Towards the end of the post, Carter revealed his prayer for the world.
“My prayer is that each day we would see the world through the eyes of Jesus, recognizing that every life around us is as valuable as He sees it,” he said. “We, too, were once lost, broken, and forgotten until the love of God found us, embraced us, and gave us new life. Because He redeemed us, no one is ever too far gone to experience His love.”
“How do we practically live out this calling? We cannot do it on our own; we need the Holy Spirit to renew our hearts, fill us with compassion, and empower us to seek out those who need the love of Christ. Each day, we can ask the Holy Spirit, ‘Who is the one person I can love like Jesus today?’ Then we do it!” he added.
Carter added several Bible verses to help people practically put God’s word into action.
- John 13:35: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
- Matthew 5:42: Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
- Psalm 82:3: Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
- Luke 6:36: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
- Mark 16:15: “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray continually.”
Carter has encouraged his followers on social media to be the hands and feet of Jesus. He pointed to several Scriptures showing how we can love like Jesus.
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